Domestic Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) metrics are widely used to provide information on a home, and yet, the current metrics do not accurately reflect the fabric efficiency of a home nor do they support our transition to net zero.
To address this, they are proposing to reform the current metrics to provide more holistic information about the efficiency of a home that is relevant to owners and occupiers. The following set of headline metrics have been proposed:
- Fabric Rating
- Cost Rating
- Heating System Type
These three metrics each support distinct policy purposes – the heat demand, the cost to run the dwelling, and whether the heating system is zero direct emissions compliant.
In addition, the proposal includes displaying the following:
- the Emissions Rating; and,
- the Energy Use Indicator.
These are not intended to be used as headline metrics but provide information that can be useful to stakeholders.
Additional metrics set out in the draft Energy Performance of Buildings Directive may be required in a separate section to enable alignment with EU countries. If this is the case, these will also be added to the EPC as secondary metrics.
Beyond metrics, the proposal sets out to ensure the EPC provides a clear description of the energy efficiency features of the dwelling, showing them in a list. This could include the insulation condition of the walls, as identified in accordance with the relevant assessment methodology. The intention is to review the presentation of this information in the current EPC format, and consider whether this can be made more prominent.
The deadline to submit contributions to CIBSE was the 6th October 2023. You can see the CIBSE response here.