Guide
What is an EPC?
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) shows how energy efficient a home is, and how it could be improved. It's a short report, made after a visit by a qualified assessor, and kept on a public government register.
- A rating from A to GHow energy efficient the home is: A is the best, G the worst. Most homes are D.
- Lasts 10 yearsOne certificate covers every sale or let in that time.
- Needed to sell or rentYou need a valid EPC before you market a home for sale or let it to a new tenant.
An example certificate, explained
Here's what a typical certificate looks like, for a made-up terraced house. Real certificates have the same parts in the same order, so once you know what each one means you can read any EPC.
Energy performance certificate (EPC)
12 Sample Terrace, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 0XX
The property and the certificate
Which home it's for, and how long it lasts: 10 years from the day it's issued. Every certificate has its own number, so anyone (a buyer, a tenant or a council) can look it up on the government register to check it's genuine.
The floor area is measured by the assessor. It's the total of every heated room, so it's a good guide to the size of the home.
Energy rating and score
This property's energy rating is D. It has the potential to be B.
The energy rating
The part most people look at. Homes are scored from 1 to over 100 and put in a band from A (very efficient, cheap to heat) to G (inefficient, expensive to heat). The most common rating in England and Wales is D.
Current is the home as it is today. Potential is what it could reach if every recommended improvement was made (see part 4).
The score is about the building, not the people in it. It assumes a standard household and heating pattern, so two families in identical houses get the same rating however much energy they actually use.
Breakdown of property's energy performance
What the home is made of
What the assessor found in each part of the home, and how good it is for keeping heat in (from very poor to very good). This is the easiest part to act on: it shows exactly where the home loses its points.
In this example the solid brick walls are the weak spot, while the loft is well insulated. Some parts, like a floor over a void, are described but not given a rating.
Steps you could take to save energy
How to improve the rating
A to-do list for the home, in the order that makes most sense, with a typical cost for each job and the rating you'd reach once it's done. Each step builds on the ones before it.
None of it is compulsory. It's there to help you decide what's worth doing, and it's where the potential rating comes from. Some steps may qualify for government grants.
Environmental impact
Energy use and carbon
An estimate of how much energy the home uses for heating, hot water and lighting each year for every square metre of floor, and the carbon that produces. Again it's based on standard use rather than your bills, so it's for comparing homes, not predicting what you'll pay.
Contacting the assessor and accreditation scheme
Who did the assessment
Every EPC is done by a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor who belongs to a government-approved accreditation scheme. Their name, ID and scheme are printed on the certificate, so you can check them, and complain to the scheme if something's wrong.
What the letters mean
The score decides the letter. The higher the score, the cheaper the home should be to heat and the less carbon it produces.
When do you need one?
- Selling: you need a valid EPC before the home goes on the market, and the rating is shown on the listing.
- Renting out: landlords must give new tenants a copy, and most rented homes must be rated E or better.
- New builds: the builder gets one when the home is finished.
- Already have one? If it's under 10 years old you can usually reuse it. Search the register by postcode to find it.
What happens at the visit
An accredited assessor visits for about 30 to 45 minutes for a typical home. They need to see every room, the loft hatch, the boiler and the meters, but they won't move furniture or lift floors.
- Measures upThe size of each floor and room, and the height of the ceilings.
- Looks at the buildingWalls, the loft and its insulation, windows, doors and floors.
- Checks the heatingThe boiler, radiators and controls, hot water, lighting, and any solar panels.
The assessor then puts what they found into government-approved software, which works out the rating. The certificate is lodged on the register, usually within a day or two.
Questions
Is an EPC the same as a survey?
Does the assessor need to drill or lift floorboards?
Can a low rating stop me selling?
What rating does a rented home need?
I've improved my home. Should I get a new EPC?
How do I check if my home already has one?
Letting or selling? Read our EPC guides on the rules for landlords, what sellers need, and what an EPC costs.
Need an EPC?
Book with Ready EPC in about a minute. You see the fixed price before you pay, and a local accredited assessor will be in touch to arrange the visit.
Book your EPC