REAL-LIFE SKILLS UNDERSTANDING AN ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE An Energy Performance Certificate is a legal requirement for a building to be sold, let or constructed. Once obtained, an EPC is valid for 10 years. The document, issued by a qualified accredited assessor, states how energy-efficient a building is by providing a rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) by using a system with multicoloured bands. The Certificate also calculates how costly it will be to heat and light the building and what its carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are likely to be. It is made up of different pages, but the main information is contained in the first one. What is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)? 7 Answer the questions. How can an EPC be defined? How long is it valid? Who is the document issued by? What system is used to define the different levels of efficiency? What else does the Certificate calculate? What is an EPC made up of? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 8 Look at the document and answer the questions. The graph shows the current energy efficiency of a house in England. The higher the rating, the lower the fuel bill is likely to be. The average energy efficiency rating for a house in England and Wales is band D. In Italy, the efficiency rating of a house is showed in a document called APE, which is the acronym of . Attestato di Prestazione Energetica What information can you get from the graph? In your opinion, what is the current efficiency rating? And the potential rating? What is the average efficiency rating for houses in England and Wales? Is it better to have a high or a low rating? Why? What is the equivalent of EPC in Italy? Ask your parents to show you the Energy Performance Certificate of your house. What is the energy rating? Are you saving energy? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.