Energy at home

Energy performance certificates (EPCs) explained

What are EPCs?
Why get an EPC?
What can I expect to see on my EPC?
How do I get an EPC?
How much does an EPC cost?

What are energy performance certificates?

Energy performance certificates (EPCs) tell you how energy efficient a building is. They are different from energy ratings, which are the multi-coloured labels you find on new home appliances.

EPCs rate a home from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). They’ll tell you how costly it will be to heat and light your property, and what its CO₂ emissions are likely to be.

An EPC includes:

cost effective ways to improve your EPC rating
information on what the energy efficiency rating could be if you made the recommended improvements

Even if you rent your home, you could still implement some improvements noted on the EPC, such as switching to more energy efficient light bulbs.

EPCs are valid for 10 years from the date of issue.

Why should I get an energy performance certificate?

An EPC helps you understand the energy performance of your home. It can identify areas for improvement which could save you money on your bills and reduce CO₂ emissions.

If you’re looking to sell or rent out your home, you need an EPC before it goes on the market. You must get an approved domestic energy assessor to produce the EPC.

If you’re looking for a property to buy or rent a property, the EPC rating lets you compare the energy efficiency of different properties easily. Properties in Scotland must display its EPC rating, for example, near the boiler or meter cupboard.

The EPC also gives recommendations to improve your EPC rating. If you do make any energy efficiency recommendations outlined in your EPC, you may want to get a new EPC to reflect this.

What can I expect to see on my energy performance certificate?

It’s worth noting that not all EPCs look the same. In this guide, we use a 2023 certificate from Scotland as an example. Older certificates will have most of this information, although it may look a bit different and may be in a different order.

Energy certificates from England, Wales and Northern Ireland may also look a little different. But the sections and information covered should be identical.

Energy efficiency rating

The first table you see on page one is a quick visual comparison of property performance similar to the energy labels you get on home appliances.

Your property has a current energy efficiency rating. These range from A-G, with A being the best. Some EPCs also have a similar chart for a property’s environmental performance.

It also shows the potential rating if you carry out all the suggested improvements. In this example, you can see that the home could jump from band C to B with the recommended energy efficiency upgrades.

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This page gives you a detailed breakdown of each element of your property. Each element includes a description and an energy rating from one to five stars (with five being the best). This is to help you understand the effectiveness of:
- your home’s construction
- your current heating and hot water system
- your lighting
This can be especially useful for comparing with other properties when you’re looking to buy or rent.
Estimated energy costs

This section shows an estimate of the current and potential energy bills of the property. This is useful for knowing how much it will cost you in energy bills over the next few years. It’s also helpful for knowing how much lower the running costs could be if the home’s energy efficiency was improved.

These costs are just for your heating, hot water and lighting. The EPC doesn’t include any additional energy costs from your home appliances. In reality, your energy bills will be a bit higher. However, the costs shown can help you compare properties and see which building could be cheaper to run.

Recommendations

Now we arrive at perhaps the most important section of the EPC: the recommendations.

Here you get a detailed breakdown of the recommended measures including:
- an idea of how much it would cost to install
- how much you could save on your energy bills
- how much it could improve the property’s energy efficiency rating
The recommended measures are shown in order of importance. The energy efficiency improvements figures are based on making the improvements in that order. Of course, you might not be able to complete them all, or in the order listed, but it’s a good guide.

The number of recommended measures will vary, depending on which ones are applicable to your property. In this example, the main priority is wall insulation.

The table shows the updated performance ratings after improvements are made. However they only assume the improvements have been installed in the order they appear in the table.

How do I get an energy performance certificate?

To get an EPC, you need to speak to a qualified home assessor. This depends on where you live.

England, Wales and Northern Ireland

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, only accredited domestic energy assessors can produce valid EPCs. You’ll need one of these assessors to produce an EPC certificate for you. Visit the GOV.UK website to find an assessor.

If you’re selling or renting your home through an estate agent, they may be able to arrange for the EPC to be completed for you.

Scotland

In Scotland, only organisations approved by the Scottish Government can produce valid EPCs. You’ll need one of these organisations to produce an EPC certificate for you.

Find a list of approved EPC organisations on the Scottish EPC Register.

If you’re selling your home through a selling agent, you should ask them to arrange for a Home Report to be made. This report includes an energy report and EPC.

Energy reports can only be produced by chartered surveyors registered with RICS.

How much does an energy performance certificate cost?

Getting an EPC certificate can cost between £60-£120. Remember that if you’re selling or renting out your home, you need an EPC otherwise you may be issued with a fixed penalty charge of £200.

How much an EPC costs can depend on:

the type of house you live in
the size of your house
the number of bedrooms
where you live

Assessors may have different fees too, so it’s worth getting a number of quotes from an accredited assessor or organisation to find the best deal.

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