If you are looking to buy or sell a house, you are most likely wondering whether the EPC score or the label, which appears on the energy performance certificate (EPC), is actually good or bad. To answer this, we first need to look at some parameters. What type of house and building is involved? After all, a detached house has a greater loss area (through the facades) than a flat that is built in between several buildings and thus logically retains energy better. The age of the house also plays a role. The year of construction is particularly important to determine roughly the quality of insulation. Furthermore, the type of heating also influences the EPC score.
How is an EPC score calculated?
The energy score is calculated based on data collected by the certified energy expert type A during the on-site inspection. During the inspection, the energy expert pays attention to, among other things: the type of house, surface area of the house, year of construction, building materials, type of insulation, heating system and hot water system. A special software package managed by the Flemish Energy Agency reads all these data after the on-site inspection. The score then rolls out automatically from this specialised software system using complex calculations.
Key parameters for EPC score
Above, we already talked about the energy expert's focus on the type of house, area of the house, year of construction, building materials, type of insulation, heating system and hot water system. The main 3 parameters are further explained below:
- Building type: Is it an open building, semi-open building, a terraced house or a flat? A flat usually has only a front and rear façade as loss surfaces of energy. This means that energy is only lost through these facades. A flat will therefore have a better EPC value than a detached house with the same insulation and heating system, because in total less energy is lost through the facades.
- Year of construction: The year of construction of the house is of great importance on the EPC value. A house built in the 1960s will logically have worse insulation than a luxury villa built in 2010 and will therefore also have a worse EPC score.
- Is the heating electric, at gas or at fuel oil? Depending on the heating type, the EPC score is calculated differently.
From energy score to label
The EPC has been mandatory for more than a decade when selling and renting out houses, flats, studios... The prefix previously on EPCs expresses how much energy a house consumes per square metre per year. The lower the energy consumption is, the lower the EPC value will be, so the better the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) result is.
The EPCs issued from 2019 will have a label on them, from A+ (very energy efficient) to F (energy inefficient).
From 2020, sales and rentals of small non-residential units must also have an EPC.
From January 2022, apartment buildings an EPC of the common parts of the building. This obligation is separate from sales and rentals. You can have this EPC prepared as early as 2020.
Want to have an EPC inspection carried out? Via this form receive a no-obligation quote for your home
