I am a qualified Home Inspector and Domestic Energy Assessor based in Chapel Allerton, working mainly in north Leeds and the surrounding area.
My aim is to work as directly for people who are selling there homes as possible, this way the home owner knows who they are dealing with, keeps the cost down and helps me to work with the people in my own area.
The whole ethos behind assessing people’s homes for energy efficiency and levels of carbon emission is in my view undermined if the person coming to do the assessment has driven miles in a car to get there!If you will work with me, we can cut out the middle men; agencies call centres and work allocation panels.
You will get your Home Information Pack from a local supplier, with searches undertaken locally (not over the internet from another country). You will save around 25% compared to some HIP Pack Providers.
The price I charge for a Home Information Pack is generally £275. (I don’t add VAT on because I am not big enough to be registered) I say generally £275 because if you home has more than four bedrooms, I charge a little more. The price is also based on a HIP for a freehold property, a leasehold property costs around £50 more because there is more work to do. (By the legal guys not me).
It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the ins and outs of freehold and leasehold etc, give me a call and we can work it out for you.If I don’t know either, then I know a man who will!As an Energy Assessor, I will come out to your home to collect information to compile an Energy Performance Certificate; everything else in the HIP will be expertly sorted out by PALI (Property and Land Information). When your HIP is complete it will be viewable on-line. You will be issued with an eight digit pin number which you can issue to people who you wish to see your HIP. This allows you to control who sees the HIP.
Call me old fashioned but when I spend my money I like to see something for it. This is why all my prices are quoted including one paper copy of the HIP sent either to you, your solicitor, estate agent etc.If you don’t want a hardcopy and are happy to view the HIP on-line (this is quite legal and preferred by some people. It is also a greener option, avoiding a paper copy), let me know and we can knock a small amount off the cost. If you need more than one copy, we can also supply them for a small extra cost.Well, that’s me, the rest of this website is pretty general to all Domestic Energy Assessors, but it’s informative and needs to be there.
Please call me or use the contact form if you want any further information, clarification, explanation or to order a HIP.
David PerkinDipHI
PS,I am CRB checked, accredited and Insured by NHER (National Homes Energy Rating Accreditation Scheme).
My accreditation number is; SAVA001294.
This accreditation can be verified at https://www.hcrregister.com
IMPORTANT NEWS FOR LANDLORDS
From the first of October 2008, Energy Performance Certificates will be required for properties which are rented out.
The EPC and recommendation report must be made available free of charge by the landlord (or your letting agent) at the earliest opportunity and no later than:
• When any written information about the building is provided in response to a request for information received from the prospective tenant; or
• When a viewing is conducted; or
• Before entering into a contract to let (if neither of the above occurs).
If you have a tenant already in the property you will not have to obtain an EPC until there is a change of tenancy.
Once your property has an EPC it will be valid for tens years.
At the moment I am doing Energy Performance Certificates some forward thinking Landlords that have properties on short term agreements who feel that they may as well get in first while its quiet and get theirs done before all the others suddenly realise they need to act and start running around trying to book in energy assessors at short notice.
If you have property rented out to students and have to comply with criteria laid down by UNIPOL (Check out the "News" page of your UNIPOL website) or local councils they will be expecting you to have your EPC`s in place before the letting season.
Think about it and get in touch…
All properties marketed for sale from 14 December 2007 in England and Wales will need a Home Information Pack (HIP). The Pack includes an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), containing advice on how to cut carbon emissions and fuel bills. Also included are documents such as a sale statement, searches and evidence of title.
Until 1st May 2008 it is sufficient to have ordered you Home Information pack before you market your home, after then you will have to have the pack fully complete before marketing your home for sale
It is now a legal requirement to have a HIP when your property is sold. You can order a Home Information Pack from many different sources, the packs are all generally the same. I think we have a competative price.
The only part of the HIp that requires someone to visit your home is the compilation of the Energy Performance Certificate.
Energy consumption in our homes accounts for some 30% of the CO2 emissions in the UK. Heating uses 90% of energy in the home and so improving the energy efficiency of our homes not only saves money but also reduces harmful emissions.
Energy Performance certificates have been introduced as part of our Government's commitment to reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere by 60% in 2050. A European Union Directive requires that when a building is constructed, sold or rented out, in the future an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) must be made available to the owner or by the owner to prospective purchasers or tenants.
In order to compile an Energy Performance Certificate, I will visit the property and assess many of its elements. The data and calculations are used in a computer programme to produce the ratings and an Energy Performance Certificate, grading the property as it stands. The grading is determined by the number of SAP (Standard Assessment Procedures) points your house scores. It will also provide recommendations on improving the rating, if applicable.
The Energy Performance Certificates is graded on an A to G scale (very similar to your kitchen appliances), with Grade A being outstanding and Grade G being very poor. Along with the coloured "Bar chart" section of the certificate there are pages including general information about energy saving and a number of specific energy saving recommendations relating to the property assessed.
Energy Savings Trust estimates that by following the proposals in the Energy Performance Certificate, the average homeowner could save £300 a year on fuel bills. Its is estimated that if just one fifth of homeowners made the basic changes (which are also usually the less expensive changes) set out in their Energy Performance Certificate they could cut carbon emissions by the equivalent of taking 100,000 cars off the roads - not to mention make a combined saving of around £100 million a year on their energy bills.
Q How long will the inspection take?
A I will normally be on site, on average, for approximately one to one and a half hours. The calculations are completed at our office and the Certificate will be produced within 48 hours. If you have ordered the full Home Information Pack via from me, I will forward the certificate electronically to Hipview.co.uk for inclusion in the pack. The pack will normally be with you within the week.Q Will I need to be at home when the assessor arrives?
A Yes, it would be preferable if you are at home as I will need to ask a few simple questions and fill a couple of forms in for the HIP. We will also need access to all areas of your home, including the central heating boiler and loft area (if practically possible).Q Who can produce an Energy Performance Certificate?
A An Energy Performance Certificate can only be completed by a qualified and licensed Domestic Energy Assessor or Home Inspector.Q Does An Energy Performance Certificate need to be completed before a property is
marketed?
Q Who has access and permission to view the Energy Performance Certificate?
A Permission to view the contents of an Energy Performance Certificate by prospective buyers
or other parties must be given by the owner of the pack or their authorised agent.
We are able to accept Most major Credit and Debit cards. this is done with the "Nochex" system.
Please make your Credit or Debit Card payment by clicking on the following link to Nochex
Merchant Services
Nochex is a secure payment method. If you wish to know more about their system before using this payment method please follow this link Nochex Merchant Services website
Please note, Although card payment is our preferred method, If you prefer to pay by Cheque or Cash this can be accomadated. Please do not confuse Nochex with No Cheques!
If you are paying with a card, as soon as the Home Information pack is complete it will be viewable on Hipview.co.uk and the hard copy (if required) will be sent out to you (or to your solicitor or estate agent if you request that we do so).
As we are a small organisation, if we take a cheque payment we reserve the right to wait for the payment to clear before we issue the HIP.
We take great care to ensure you are always happy with our service, however if you are not, in the case of a query or complaint:-
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IN THE EVENT OF A QUERY OR COMPLAINT. The Domestic Energy Assessor is required to have a formal complaint handling process. Should you have a complaint about an Energy Performance Certificate or the Domestic Energy Assessor, you should contact the Domestic Energy Assessor and ask for a copy of the complaint handling process. This procedure will describe how to make a formal complaint, who it should be addressed to, and what further recourse is available to you.Upon receipt of any complaint the matter will be taken seriously and all efforts made to investigate the circumstances and resolve the issues. Should you not be satisfied with the way the complaint was handled you may refer the matter to the Domestic Energy Assessor Accreditation Scheme complaints handling process which will arrange for the claim to be resolved independently.
Name David Perkin
Accreditation Scheme SAVA/NHER
Accreditation Number SAVA001294
All Energy Performance Certificates undertaken by me are subject to the following terms and condtions, which are in the order of those imposed by most energy assessors. Please take the time to read them.
ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE, TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT.
INTRODUCTION.
The Energy Performance Certificate is a report on the energy efficiency of the property at the time of inspection. It is in a standard format and has been prepared by a Domestic Energy Assessor who is registered with a Domestic Energy Assessor Accreditation Scheme and holds the Diploma in Domestic Energy Inspection.
The Domestic Energy Assessor has a duty to provide an opinion about the energy efficiency of the property that can be used and relied upon by prospective buyers. The report will be included in the Home Information Pack commissioned on the property and entered on the Central Register.
The Code of Practice for Domestic Energy Assessors issued by the NHER Accreditation Scheme sets out the principles that must be followed and applied by all Domestic Energy Assessors who are a member of the NHER Accreditation Scheme.
You are strongly advised to read these terms of engagement. No responsibilities can be accepted for the consequences should the readers fail to act upon specific reasonable advice within it.
TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT.
The report has been commissioned on the basis of these Terms of Engagement by, or on behalf of, the seller of the property, and describes the energy efficiency of the property on the date of inspection. The Domestic Energy Assessor has a duty to provide an impartial opinion that can be used and relied upon by a prospective buyer and the seller. It is agreed by the parties that the provisions of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 will apply.
This Energy Performance Certificate will be carried out in accordance with the NHER Accreditation Scheme’s Domestic Energy Assessor Code of Practice.
Any services the Domestic Energy Assessor may agree to provide in addition to preparing this Energy Performance Certificate are outside of the scope of the NHER Accreditation Scheme, and must be covered by a wholly separate contract from that covering the Energy Inspection.
Those parts of the property that have been inspected and those parts where an inspection has not taken place are set out below and form part of these terms.
Any personal information regarding the seller that is recorded by the Domestic Energy Assessor will be held safely and securely and the seller has a right to see these records. The seller’s contact details may be used during the process for monitoring the compliance and performance of Domestic Energy Assessors. Personal information about the various parties, in particular the owner, occupier(s) and seller of the property which has no relevance to the Energy Performance Certificate will not be recorded by the Domestic Energy Assessor.
WHAT THIS REPORT TELLS YOU.
It tells you about the energy efficiency of the property and gives appropriate recommendations selected from a standard set of recommendations to tell you how the energy efficiency might be improved.
WHAT THIS REPORT DOES NOT TELL YOU.
The Report will not include any valuation of the property and does not provide information on the condition of the property or the services.
It does not tell you about any matters, other than those specifically related to energy efficiency, nor does it warn you about any Health and Safety Risks to occupiers or visitors to the property. The report does not give accurate running costs, an indication of heating and lighting bills, advice on how the improvements will affect the saleability or value of the property or how to carry out the improvements. The report also does not provide the exact U value - the exact thermal conductance from the outside to inside covering all modes of heat transfer.
WHAT IS INSPECTED.
Externally, to collect the necessary data all reasonably accessible parts of the property are visually inspected from within its grounds and adjoining public and communal areas. If the Domestic Energy Assessor needs to access any elements of the property not at ground level in order to collect the data required to issue an EPC, then the Domestic Energy Assessor may use binoculars or a digital camera and may use a ladder where the surface is no more than 3 metres from ground level and where it is safe and practical to do so.
Internally, the Domestic Energy Assessor gains access to as many parts of the property as is safe and practical in order to collect the data required to issue an EPC. Internal fixed floor coverings are not lifted and heavy items of furniture are not moved. Cupboards/storage areas are not emptied where it would be unreasonable for the Domestic Energy Assessor to do so.
WHAT IS NOT INSPECTED.The Domestic Energy Assessor undertakes a visual inspection to collect the necessary data and does not carry out tests of services, or look at those parts of the property that are covered, unexposed and inaccessible or damage any part of the property when undertaking the inspection. In particular the following are not inspected:
Exterior The parts of the property that can only be seen by entering somebody else's private grounds or property. The parts of the property that cannot be reached other than from ground level with a 3 metre ladder. (The Domestic Energy Assessor will not walk on flat roofs). Exposure works will not be carried out to the foundations, cavity walls and parts of the property covered by the ground.
Interior Areas that are behind secured trap doors, behind heavy furniture or filled cupboards. Floor surfaces and under floor areas that are beneath fitted carpets and other fixed floor coverings.Sub-Floor voids are not inspected. Roof voids, where there is no access or where the access is above 3 metres from the immediate floor level below, or where it would be unsafe. Insulation and other material in the roof space will not be lifted or moved. The inside of chimneys, boiler and other flues. The Domestic Energy Assessment should not be construed or used as a general or specific survey of the condition of the property, nor will the Domestic Energy Assessor comment upon any such matters whilst carrying out an energy inspection.
PAYMENT.
The terms of payment and fees payable for the Energy Performance Certificate are as separately agreed between the Domestic Energy Assessor and the Seller (or the organisation commissioning the Energy Performance Certificate).
