An Energy Performance Certificate is required if you are selling, renting out, or building a home. They are also necessary for some commercial buildings even if they aren't changing hands. How long does an EPC last? An EPC rating will be valid for 10 years but it can be re-done before the 10-year mark if you request a new assessment. At the EPC Crew, we understand the importance of knowing the EPC regulations, so let's take a closer look.
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is awarded as proof of your property's energy efficiency rating. It will show several pieces of information, including:
The government is investing heavily in ensuring that the country's energy consumption is reduced and that carbon emissions are lowered.
The EPC scheme is designed to give people awareness of the energy efficiency of their property while also providing real, achievable changes that can be made to improve it.
It is also a way of allowing prospective buyers or renters of the property to easily see the likely energy consumption of a property and to compare the efficiency of different properties as part of their decision-making process.
Find out more: What Is An EPC Certificate
Energy Performance Certificates are needed whenever a private property is sold, rented out, or built. The new EPC needs to be gathered before the property is put on the market and should be available to potential buyers and renters when they are viewing the property.
It used to be the case that an EPC wasn't needed for existing tenancies, only for new tenancies. The rules have slightly changed now, however. New EPC regulations state that an EPC rating needs to be available whenever a tenancy is renewed.
For commercial properties, the rules are slightly different. A new EPC is needed under the same conditions (when the building is sold, rented out, or built) but it may also be needed if the property isn't changing hands as well.
An EPC rating is needed if a commercial property is:
The rules are slightly different for England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. So it is worth checking to see if there is extra information needed based on where you are located. For example, in Scotland, the EPC rating must be displayed somewhere on the property.
Under some circumstances, an EPC isn't needed. It is always worth finding out if your property comes under one of the accepted exemptions, according to the government regulating body.
Exemptions can include:
The government requires all rental properties to meet minimum energy efficiency standards. Under these new regulations, the minimum EPC rating must be E for the property to be eligible for rent. There are some exemptions to this, however, such as if the building is a listed property and the recommended changes would significantly alter it.
Once you have your EPC certificate in hand, it will be valid for 10 years. Once it expires, you will need to have another assessment conducted.
If you make modifications to the property based on the recommendations laid out in your EPC, you can request that another energy assessment be conducted. This will give you a brand new certificate with the improvements you have made taken into account.
Doing so can be worth it because you may receive a better energy rating. In a competitive market, this higher rating could mean the difference between someone choosing to rent or buy your property and opting for somewhere else instead.
This new certificate will restart the 10-year clock. You can request a new EPC multiple times as you continue to make the suggested improvements.
When you are preparing to put a property on the market, you will need a new EPC before you can do so. The process is similar for domestic and commercial properties.
For residential properties, you will need to bring in a domestic energy assessor. This is someone who is trained to carry out EPC ratings on domestic properties.
The assessor will visit the property and examine a wide variety of features. These can include:
The assessment is non-intrusive, which means that the assessor will often not physically look at certain elements of the property. They can, however, make an educated guess on the type and condition based on the style and period of the house. However, if you have evidence that your property differs in some way, you can show them.
All of these factors are put into a software program that then calculates the EPC rating based on how energy-efficient the property is deemed to be. This is the rating from A to G.
It will also provide a list of recommendations for how to improve the energy efficiency of the property. These can include things like:
Implementing these recommendations will cost money upfront but the reduction in your energy bills will mean that you can save money in the long run. The EPC certificate will provide you with a prediction of what your energy rating and costs are likely to be when you make the suggested improvements.
Uncover more: Domestic EPC
Commercial energy performance certificates work similarly to domestic ones, although there are some differences.
You will need a qualified commercial energy assessor to complete the inspection. There are three levels of building classifications: levels 1, 2, and 3. These classifications are based on the complexity of the building and the types of services that are provided.
Your energy assessor needs to be qualified to the level of the building with an accredited qualifying body.
As with domestic EPC ratings, the assessment will be non-intrusive, with some educated guesses being made about the energy consumption of certain features of the building. Again, these can be modified if you have evidence to the contrary.
EPC regulations state that commercial properties must have a rating of at least E. By 2027, the minimum EPC rating will be C, and by 2030 it will be B. Because of this, it is worth investing in meeting the recommendations laid out in your EPC certificate to improve your rating.
Explore further: Commercial EPC
The price of an EPC will vary depending on the size of a building and its complexity. Typically, you can expect an EPC to cost between £35 and £120.
Dig Deeper: How Much Does An EPC Certificate Cost
It is a legal requirement to commission an EPC rating if your property comes under the conditions laid out by the government.
If the EPC isn't prepared when a review is required or you have an expired EPC, you can be subject to a penalty. This will be 12.5% of the property's value, with a minimum of £500 and a maximum of £5,000.
Once you have your EPC certificate in hand, a version of it will be published in a free online database. This database is accessible by any member of the public, so it will be easy for people to find your EPC rating. It is possible to opt out of this database if you need to.
If your property is commercial, you must display your EPC certificate by affixing it to the building. For public buildings in England and Wales, an EPC certificate needs to be displayed that shows actual energy use rather than predicted.
Your EPC rating will be displayed on the listing when you place your property on the market.
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a key component of the drive to reduce our energy use and carbon emissions. An EPC is required whenever you buy, sell, or build a property. For commercial buildings, an EPC may be required regardless of if the building is changing hands. Once you have a valid EPC, it will last for 10 years. However, if you make changes to reduce your property's energy use, you can request for a new EPC assessment to be conducted before the 10-year mark.
If you need advice about Energy Performance Certificates, we can help. At the EPC Crew, we have years of experience working with EPCs and we understand all of their complexities. Our team guides you through the EPC process from start to finish and ensures that the certification meets all requirements.
