There are many on-line companies advertising cheap EPCs on the internet.
How good a deal are these low cost EPCs? remember this document is valid for 10 years.
How can these companies provide EPCs at such a low price?
There are three business models here;
- A company employs a Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA). The DEA will have a very low basic salary. To increase his earnings, he needs to reach targets set by the company. Once targets are met, the DEA will be paid an extra fee. The target levels are very high. To achieve these levels the DEA needs to work fast. The DEA can only afford to spend a minimal time on the survey. And will cut corners. (Not measuring loft insulation?). The DEAs time on site doing the survey would be about 20 minutes or even less, can he or she say they have accurately assessed your property?
- A company may employ just one qualified DEA. They can then send an unqualified person to carry out the inspection on your property, recording basic data. This "data" will be given to the one qualified DEA so that they could lodge the EPC, the name on the certificate will not be the person that visited your home.
This person carrying out your survey is not qualified and is not licensed.
Will you get an accurate EPC?
They will also not be insured, what happens if any damage occurs, let alone the validity of the EPC.
They may not be CRB checked; do they have a criminal record?
- Another new system being used. Two companies are now using a system where they send out a mass email, inviting quotes, from "Energy Assessors". It is a "bidding session". The lowest "bid" gets the job and they don’t care who does it as long as it is the lowest price EPC bid.
CRB checked.
Currently qualified.
Carries PII or PLI Insurance.
So who is coming to your house?
And is it worthwhile trawling the internet to find the cheapest EPC you can get?
Read more about why you should get an accurate EPC
Check the Landmark register to see if the person who inspects your home is a DEA.
