Reading nameplates: recognising boilers, heat pumps and ventilation for your EPC

For every EPC file, you enter a number of technical details for each installation (boiler, heat pump, ventilation system, domestic hot water, solar panels): brand, model, power, efficiency. VEKA accepts only one type of evidence as reliable: the nameplate of the appliance itself, photographed on site. A quote from the installer, a statement from the owner ('it's a compliant boiler from last year') or an estimate based on the construction year is not enough.

The reason is simple: the nameplate is the only document directly tied to the installed appliance, at the moment of your visit. If it's missing, illegible, or you don't take a photo, you have to fall back on a conservative default value, which almost always produces a less favourable result than the actual installation deserves. Reading and photographing the nameplate correctly is therefore not just paperwork, it protects your client from an unfairly strict label.

Whether you're facing a boiler, a heat pump or a ventilation system, you always look for the same seven data points on the nameplate:

• Brand, the manufacturer, usually at the top of the nameplate.
• Model, the exact model code, often a combination of letters and numbers you need to look up the appliance in the installation database.
• Nominal power, expressed in kW, sometimes split between heating and domestic hot water on a combi unit.
• Efficiency, often a percentage for boilers, a COP or SCOP value for heat pumps.
• Year built, not always stated literally, but derivable from a production date or serial number range.
• Fuel or energy source, natural gas, heating oil, pellets, electricity, or a combination.
• Serial number, the unique identifier of this specific unit, not of the model.

Note these seven data points systematically for every installation, even after copying them a hundred times. A fixed order stops you forgetting something on site.

On a heating boiler, the nameplate is usually on the inside of the front panel or on the side of the housing, sometimes behind a small removable flap. On older oil-fired boilers you sometimes find it on the burner itself, separate from the nameplate of the boiler body. In that case, note both.

For a boiler, pay specific attention to:

• The nominal power can appear as a range on some nameplates (e.g. 12-24 kW): note the maximum, unless your file requires otherwise.
• On a combi boiler (heating + domestic hot water), two power ratings are often listed separately: heating power and DHW power.
• The efficiency sometimes isn't on the nameplate itself but on a separate CE label next to it: look for both before continuing.

A heat pump has two nameplates: one on the outdoor unit and one on the indoor unit. You need to photograph both, since each contains different data. The outdoor unit's nameplate usually shows the power and the refrigerant; the indoor unit's nameplate often shows the model of the complete system and the serial number you need for the installation database.

Specifically for heat pumps, the COP value (Coefficient of Performance) or SCOP (seasonal variant) matters: this figure expresses the ratio between heat delivered and electricity consumed, and weighs more heavily on the EPC result than for a classic boiler. If the COP isn't on the nameplate itself, you sometimes find it on a separate energy label attached to the unit, or you'll need to check the manufacturer's documentation.

Ventilation systems fall into four types: A (natural supply and extract), B (mechanical supply), C (mechanical extract) and D (balanced ventilation with heat recovery). The nameplate sits on the ventilation unit itself, usually in a technical room, attic or storage space.

For a D-system you also need the efficiency of the heat recovery (HRV), and it's worth documenting the state of the filters too. For B and C systems, the nameplate of the ventilator unit itself is usually enough, showing brand, model, airflow and power.

Practice keeps turning up the same five mistakes:

• Photographing only the serial number, without the rest of the nameplate. VEKA doesn't accept that as complete evidence.
• Confusing the burner's nameplate with the boiler body's on older oil-fired installations, leading to the wrong power being entered.
• Photographing only one of the two units on a heat pump, usually the outdoor unit, so the system's model goes missing.
• Not cleaning or lighting a faded or greasy nameplate before the photo, resulting in an illegible image.
• Mixing up power and efficiency when a nameplate shows several percentages and kW values side by side.

Each of these mistakes leads to the same outcome: a correction request from VEKA, or a file you have to fill in more conservatively than the actual installation deserves.

The photo documentation requirements from Inspection Protocol 2025 (IP2025) also apply to nameplates, and can be summed up simply: the serial number and power must be legible in the photo, in focus and with sufficient light. For the full checklist per category (heating, ventilation, domestic hot water), see our IP2025 photo checklist.

A few rules of thumb specific to nameplates:

• Use flash in a dark technical room or meter cupboard.
• Take a close-up of the nameplate where needed, separate from the full photo of the appliance.
• For a double nameplate (e.g. heat pump): photograph each separately, not one distant photo meant to show both.

The nameplate scanner (beta) in EPC-Expert Pro lets you point your camera at the nameplate on site: the scanner reads the brand, model and power and immediately links the installation to the installation database, with efficiency and other specifications added automatically. You no longer need to retype the data manually into seven separate fields.

Because the feature is in beta and nameplates vary widely by manufacturer and condition, your own check remains the standard: if a recognised value doesn't match what you see on the nameplate, correct it yourself before continuing. The scanner doesn't replace your own eyes, it takes the retyping off your hands. If you can't find an installation in the database, add it yourself, and it'll be ready next time.