What is an Energy Rating? What is a SAP rating? What is a NHER rating? Do I need a SAP or NHER rating? What is involved in having a property energy rated?
A measure of the energy performance of a property, i.e. how energy efficient is my house? top
SAP stands for Standard Assessment Procedure and is the government’s preferred energy rating. It is an index on a scale of 1 to 100, a property with a SAP of 1 having a very poor energy rating, and one with a SAP of a 100 having an excellent energy rating. top
National Home Energy Rating is again based on an index, this time from 1 to 10, (1 very poor, 10 excellent). The NHER also calculates your properties’ estimated annual running cost in terms of energy use, taking into account heating, lighting and electrical appliances. top
Do I need a SAP or NHER rating?
Since the 1995 Building Regulations, all new build must have an energy rating carried out on it.
There is no requirement for existing buildings to be energy rated, however, anyone selling or buying a property may benefit from a good rating by obtaining preferential mortgage rates or improving the sale value.
Otherwise, anyone who simply wishes to lower their fuel bills and at the same time help save the environment from pollution, can benefit from having an energy rating carried out and receiving advice on possible improvements from a qualified Assessor. top
What is involved in having a property energy rated?
Existing Build:
A qualified Assessor will survey the dwelling, collating relevant information mainly with respect to the fabric of the house and it’s heating system. The information is then processed through specialist software to arrive at the SAP energy rating for the property. At this stage, advice on improvement measures may be offered, and/or a certificate issued.
New Build:
Assessment is made based upon architectural plans and specifications. These can be purely speculative to see what rating a certain design may achieve. Advice is offered to meet the minimum standards or to attain enhanced ratings. This information can be used for Building Regulation approval submission. Once the building is complete a certificate can be issued to confirm a rating for the dwelling. top