How to get an EPC for your property
Before you can sell or rent out your home, you'll need an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate). Here's how to get one...
What is an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)?
An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) tells buyers or renters how energy efficient their home is. It gives them information about its typical energy use and energy costs, as well as recommendations about how to reduce energy use and save money.
An EPC gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). The better the rating the lower the cost of running the property. An EPC is valid for 10 years.
Why do I need an EPC?
It's a legal requirement to get an EPC before you can either sell or rent out a property. If you don't have one you could be fined.
When do I need to get an EPC?
You need to make sure you have an EPC available to potential buyers as soon as you start to market your property to buyers or renters.
Where do I get an EPC?
If you're selling your property through an estate agent, they usually should provide one for you - but check if you're unsure.
If you're selling the property yourself, you'll need to do this with an accredited energy assessor. They'll come to your property to conduct an energy assessment.
Find an accredited energy assessor via the EPC Register.
Is it the same register for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales?
England and Wales have the same database, but Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate systems.
Find out more about EPCs in Scotland
Find out more about EPCs in Northern Ireland
What can I expect when getting an EPC?
The energy assessor will need to access all the rooms in your property, including the attic. They'll want to look at your heating at its controls. You can expect them to take measurements and photos of your property for their report.
How long will the assessment take?
It depends on the size and structure of your property, but it's worth asking them how long they expect it to take when booking it in.
I'm renting out a room in my home - do I still need an updated EPC?
No, as a resident landlord you don't need an updated EPC.
I only bought my home a few years ago, but I'm about to sell my property, do I need a new one?
Not if it's still valid - an EPC is valid for 10 years.
How much does an EPC cost?
You can expect the cost for an EPC to vary depending on the size of your property. Typically, they cost about £35 - but a certificate for a large house could cost a lot more.
I'm about to buy/rent a new home - do I need to pay for an EPC?
No. As a buyer or renter you should never have to pay for an EPC yourself - the seller or landlord should do that for you.
How can I find out if my property already has an EPC or not?
You should have been given a copy of your home's EPC when you bought or rented the property. But if you're unsure, you can search for it for free via the EPC register.
Retrieve an EPC in England or Wales
Retrieve an EPC in Northern Ireland
What's MEES?
MEES stands for Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard. It came into force on 1 April 2018 and set a new energy efficiency regulations for private rented properties throughout the UK.
It's designed to highlight low standards of energy efficiency in properties in a bid to get landlords to take measures to raise them. This means the lowest rating your home can achieve and still be rented out is an 'E' rating. If it's rated 'F' or 'G', in most cases it is now illegal to rent it out and you must make improvements if you wish to do so. You will never need to spend more than £3,500 (including VAT) on energy efficiency improvements.
If you cannot improve your property to EPC E for £3,500 or less, you should make all the improvements which can be made up to that amount, then register an 'all improvements made' exemption. For more information look at the government guidance.