EPC Requirements in the UK

Energy Performance Certificates or EPCs are requirements that home sellers must provide to buyers or renters when they are selling or letting their properties. It shows the energy efficiency rating of a property in a scale of A to G, with A being the highest. A brand new home or property, therefore, which has been built to meet new standards in energy efficiency, is likely to get an A rating, while older homes may have a C, D, or E.

This requirement was implemented in the UK in 2008. Hence, properties that were occupied before October of that year are not covered by this requirement, but their owners and landlords can still have an EPC commissioned for these properties if they wish to do so.

The purpose of an EPC is to provide prospective buyers and renters information about the energy efficiency of the property that they are interested in. Therefore, a property that has a higher rating will sell better than one that has a lower rating. It also follows that sellers can demand a better price for their property if they have a certificate that shows that future owners will enjoy lower energy costs if they choose to buy the said property.

Since an EPC is a requirement, all home sellers are obliged to include the rating whenever they advertise or market the property. The seller would then have to provide the buyer with a copy of the certificate before they enter into a contract. This responsibility may fall to the agent if the owner decides to hire a third party to do the task of selling the property.

An accredited energy assessor does the production of an EPC.  The property owner will have to find and approach an accredited assessor to have his property audited and inspected. The cost can be as low as £60 or may be as high as £120. It really depends if you go directly to the assessor or route it through an estate agent. If you want to save on costs, it is better to do your own research since a list of accredited energy assessors can easily be acquired by visiting the EPC register online. You can then compare fees among these providers.

Aside from the rating, an EPC also contains recommendations on how you can improve your property’s current energy efficiency status. This information is beneficial to the owner if he wish to improve his property’s rating and this will also help future buyers decide if they should push through with the purchase. Therefore, if you are planning to sell your property, remember to have this requirement ready. It has a validity of ten years, so you can re-use it throughout that period every time you want to lease your property.