Home energy efficiency standards and certifications
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Guide written on 6 February 2024 by:
Tom. Content Writer, Nottingham
Home energy efficiency standards and certifications: the basics
Standards and certifications are essential in home energy efficiency in order to guarantee the quality and performance of products and services. These standards and certifications go hand in hand with the home energy efficiency grants currently and previously available, therefore it is extremely important to be aware of your rights and obligations when completing home energy efficiency improvements.
The main energy efficiency standards and certifications
Home energy performance certificates
These certify the energy efficiency of a building.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Energy Performance Certificates give an indication of how energy-efficient a building is and are required whenever you decide to sell, rent or build a property.
An EPC gives your home a rating from A to G, A being the most energy-efficient, G being the least. Consequently, it gives you a thorough idea of how expensive it is to heat and light your home at present and how you could make improvements to increase its EPC rating.
An EPC needs to be conducted by a qualified and accredited domestic energy assessor and is valid for 10 years. As well as being essential for when bringing your home to market, they are also needed for making energy-efficient improvements to the home as part of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS).
Professional suppliers for home energy efficiency improvements
Standards and certifications also guarantee the competency of professionals when it comes to installing energy efficient products.
MCS certified suppliers
MCS certified suppliers play an extremely important role in the home energy efficiency sector; being a standards organisation, they certify renewable energy services and products.
They are also particularly crucial in the role of two government schemes to promote the installation of energy efficient heating systems. Firstly, you must find a MCS approved installer to carry out installation work as part of the UK government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme. They also apply for the grant itself. In addition, they played a key role in the now expired Green Homes Grant as suppliers had to meet MCS standards to install energy efficient improvements to the home.
HETAS
HETAS (Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme) also plays a significant part in promoting energy-efficient appliances, in particular the use of biomass heating which forms part of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. HETAS works with all actors in the renewable energy sector and a HETAS-approved installer can carry out your renovation work.
Trustmark
It is also worth consulting Trustmark approved suppliers when it comes to the installation of energy efficient products for your property. This not-for-profit organisation works closely with the government and the renewable energy industry to ensure that the installation of energy-efficient improvements is done by qualified and endorsed tradespeople, therefore providing quality and peace of mind. This is particularly true of the Green Homes Grant where a Trustmark-registered tradesperson was required to install energy efficient measures to a property.
PAS 2035
PAS 2035 provides specifications for the installation of energy efficient renovations to the home. This standard ensures that tradespeople are trained and qualified to carry out the necessary work and best practice is followed at all times. This standard has been approved by industry and the UK government.
Material and product labels and certifications
Standards and certifications are equally as important regarding energy-efficient products and materials as they are a sign of quality.
NF and NF Environment certifications
NF certifications guarantee that products conform to national, European and international standards. A NF Environment certification ensures that products and services are more environmentally-friendly, including those used for making your home more energy-efficient.
Eurovent certification
Eurovent certification guarantees high performance for air conditioning and refrigeration products, solar systems, air-to-air heat pumps, radiators and even stoves. There are different brands within this certification, such as Eurovent Certified Performance, QB, etc.
FSC and PEFC labels
FSC label
The three international FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) labels guarantee that the wood used in a product comes from a sustainable forest where its provenance can be easily identified.
Find out more about FSC labels here
PEFC label
The PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) label also certifies that the wood has come from a sustainably managed forest, and that the wood can be traced back to its origin at all stages in the product cycle.
More information on energy efficiency
*Information correct at the time of writing
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Guide written by:
Tom. Content Writer, Nottingham
Passionate about all things DIY and home improvement.
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