An EPC is needed when a property is built, sold or rented. It gives a property a rating from A to G. It is valid for 10 years.

You may be able to find a property’s rating on the UK Government's Find an energy certificate page .

If a property has ever had an EPC rating, or the certificate has expired, you’ll need to book a property assessment to get a new energy performance certificate. The cost of an assessment varies by assessor and the size of the property.

The Carbon Trust is a global climate consultancy and an established expert on carbon footprinting. Their carbon neutral verification verifies products and organisations against PAS 2060, the only internationally recognised standard for carbon neutrality. Find out more about carbon neutrality .

A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly by a product, and is expressed as a carbon dioxide equivalent.

The Carbon Trust completed a review of our mortgage service to calculate our carbon footprint. They reviewed all aspects of our mortgage service, from the paper we issue to the waste we generate.

Carbon offsetting is a way to compensate for the remaining emissions of a product or services by investing in projects that remove or avoid carbon emissions. Put simply, for every tonne of carbon we generate through our mortgage service we will buy a tonne of carbon offset units so that our overall emissions associated with the service is neutral.

We have invested in a renewable energy project - Wind Farms in India.

Since 2013, India has accounted for more than half of the increase in global CO2 output. India meets 75% of its energy needs through burning fossil fuels. We are supporting efforts to reduce these emissions by buying carbon credits from wind energy projects.