Why do you need an EPC?

As a general rule, an EPC is required every time a home is put up for sale or for rent. So, a newly constructed home will have one, a landlord will need one to show potential tenants, and a seller must have one to show to potential buyers.

 

The requirement for an EPC has been the law since 2008 (2009 in Scotland), meaning that if your home has been let or sold since then it should have one. They remain valid for 10 years.

 

There’s a national register of EPCs, unless you’ve opted out, where you can take a look at your property’s previous certificates (as well as viewing similar properties in your neighbourhood for a comparison of how energy efficient your home is).

 

You should never be charged for an EPC when you’re looking to buy or rent, it should be handed over free of charge — otherwise the seller or landlord could be fined heavily.

If you’re a landlord or seller, you’ll need to at least get this certificate ordered before you put the property on the market (you may be able to use the EPC given to you when you bought the property if it’s still valid however as good business practise it is recommended to have a new EPC completed).

 

There’s no fixed fee for an EPC, it depends on a number of factors including what kind of property you live in and how many bedrooms it has. The area you live in can also affect the price considerably. EPC prices typically start at £40, but a certificate for a large house in an expensive city could easily cost several times that.

 

An EPC is a relatively straightforward certificate. It will look a bit like the multi-coloured sticker that you get on new household appliances.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s included:

 

A section of your EPC will be dedicated to how energy efficient your property is. It’s graded from A to G, with A meaning an energy efficient, well-insulated, probably modern home, and G meaning a draughty old building where the wind rattles the walls.

 

Typically, you’ll find an older property with no retrofitted energy-saving technology will be around a D grade.

There will also be a number from 1 – 100, where a higher number signifies that the home is more efficient and the fuel bills will cost less.

 

Your EPC will give an indication of how much it will cost to heat and power your home. Details are also listed on potential savings that could be made should you improve the energy efficiency of your household running costs.

 

This section of the EPC will give you an indication of how energy efficient different aspects of your home are. It can act as a useful guide to help you work out which areas to focus on first when improving your home’s efficiency.

 

An accredited domestic energy assessor will need to issue you with your EPC, it’s not something you can do by yourself.