Elmhurst is currently working with Which? following a mystery shop of 12 domestic energy performance certificates (EPCs) it ran earlier this year and has contacted us about.

It recruited homeowners and selected domestic energy assessors at random to carry out EPC assessments.

Which? has confirmed some of the homeowners believed their resulting EPC to be inaccurate, with comments including that assessments appeared to be superficial, or based on assumptions, or contain errors.

We have been working closely with Which? to support them, while also offering our expertise on how EPCs must change to measure more and give more information about a building’s energy efficiency.

Stuart Fairlie, Elmhurst Energy Managing Director, comments:

“At Elmhurst we share people’s frustrations about the current EPC and have long campaigned for its reform. It’s time EPCs changed to show energy cost, energy consumption and carbon emissions, as well as information on potential low carbon heating solutions and ways to improve the energy efficiency of their home.

“We’re disappointed to see the Which? EPC assessment results and can understand why homeowners might want information to be presented in a clearer way, with straightforward recommendations.

“To identify inaccuracies on EPCs, we run a smart, ‘risk-based’ auditing programme which flags those with potential errors. If defects are found, we require re-assessment by the energy assessor.

“We continue to champion reform of the wider EPC system including ensuring quality training standards. This has been on the agenda since the government’s 2020 EPC Action Plan and it’s imperative for the next government to quickly deliver.”