All domestic buildings in the UK available to buy or rent must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). If you own a home, getting an energy performance survey done could help you identify ways to save money on your energy bills and improve the comfort of your home.

What is an EPC?

EPC stands for Energy Performance Certificate. Much like the multi-coloured sticker on new appliances, EPCs tell you how energy efficient a building is and give it a rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). EPCs let the person who will use the building know how costly it will be to heat and light, and what the carbon dioxide emissions are likely to be.

The EPC will also state what the energy-efficiency rating could be if improvements are made, and highlights cost-effective ways to achieve a better rating. Even if you rent your home, some improvements noted on the EPC may be worth implementing, such as switching to more energy-efficient light bulbs. EPCs are valid for 10 years from when issued.

Why get an EPC?

Your property's EPC needs to be available to potential buyers as soon as you start to market your property for sale or rent. You must get an approved Domestic Energy Assessor to produce the EPC.

If you implement any of the energy efficiency recommendations outlined in your EPC, you may wish to get a new EPC done to include these improvements.

EPCs and feed-in tariffs

Customers in England, Wales and Scotland wishing to get payments under the Government’s feed-in tariff (FIT) for solar PV will have to prove their home has an EPC rating of band D or above to receive FITs at the standard rate. You will need to be able to produce your existing EPC (as long as it is less than 10 years old) or obtain a new one.

Who produces energy reports and EPCs?

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, only accredited Domestic Energy Assessors can produce valid EPCs.

For a list of approved EPC organisations in England and Wales, visit Landmark to view the energy performance certificate register.

Buildings that don’t need an EPC

These include:

• places of worship
  
• temporary buildings that will be used for less than 2 years
  
• stand-alone buildings with total useful floor space of less than 50 square metres
  
• industrial sites, workshops and non-residential agricultural buildings that don’t use a lot of energy
  
• some buildings that are due to be demolished
  
• holiday accommodation that’s rented out for less than 4 months a year or is let under a licence to occupy
  
• listed buildings - you should get advice from your local authority conservation officer if the work would alter the building’s character
  
• residential buildings intended to be used less than 4 months a year