What is an EPC? Energy Performance Certificate explained

An EPC is an Energy Performance Certificate: a short document that rates a home in England and Wales for energy efficiency, from band A, the most efficient, to band G, the least, and lists the improvements that would raise the rating. If you are selling, an EPC must be commissioned before the property is marketed.

What an EPC shows

An EPC shows two ratings for a home: the rating it has now and the rating it could reach if the recommended improvements are carried out.

The band sits at the top of the certificate, next to the address, the date and a reference number. Alongside it you get an estimate of the energy the home uses and the carbon dioxide it produces. The calculation follows a standard method, so a rating means broadly the same thing from one street to the next. That is what makes the band useful when you compare two homes of similar size in the same area.

The certificate normally comes with a recommendations report. It lists measures such as loft insulation, wall insulation, heating upgrades or glazing, and shows how each one would move the rating. The recommendations are suggestions, not obligations, and nothing in them forces you to do the work before you sell.

An EPC is not a survey. It does not report on the condition of the roof, the wiring or the structure, and it does not replace a building survey before you buy.

Do you need an EPC before you market a home?

Yes. In England and Wales a seller must have an EPC commissioned before the home is put on the market, and the certificate has to be available to buyers who ask for it.

This is why an estate agent asks for the EPC at the point of instruction. A property without a certificate should not be marketed, and the agent cannot pass full details to buyers. Buyers are entitled to see the certificate, so a copy normally sits with the listing or is shared on request. The requirement comes from the energy performance rules that apply in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own arrangements, which are not covered here.

A small number of properties are exempt, including certain listed buildings and buildings that are due to be demolished. Exemptions are narrow, so check the current government guidance for your property rather than assuming one applies.

How an EPC is produced and how long it lasts

A domestic energy assessor visits the property, records its construction, heating, insulation, glazing and lighting, and issues the certificate through an accredited scheme. An EPC is valid for ten years.

The visit is a visual inspection. The assessor looks at the fabric of the building and the services inside it, and there is no need to open up walls or test equipment. The collected data goes into a standard calculation, which produces the band. Assessors work through accredited schemes, so every certificate carries a reference number that can be checked.

Once issued, the certificate is lodged on the register and stays there. If you carry out the recommended work, you can order a fresh assessment and market the home with the newer certificate. When you order a new assessment, the assessor does not simply reuse the old one; the property is inspected again. Ten years is the maximum life of a certificate, so an older one may still appear on the register but no longer serve for a sale.

Where to find an EPC

EPCs for homes in England and Wales are held on a government register, and you can search it by address to see whether a certificate already exists.

Buyers often check the register before a viewing, because it takes a minute and gives a sense of what the energy bills may look like. Sellers usually pass the certificate to their agent so it sits with the listing. The register also holds certificates from earlier owners and from homes that were let, so an entry you find may not relate to the current occupier. If no certificate exists for the address, the owner has to arrange one.

Does an EPC change what a home is worth?

An EPC does not set a price and it does not predict what a home will sell for. It tells a buyer what the running costs are likely to be, and running costs are part of the decision.

A home with a better band is not automatically worth more than its neighbour, because the selling price depends on the street, the condition and the size of the plot as much as on the heating system. Sold price records and energy ratings are kept in different places. The figures on this site are built from HM Land Registry Price Paid Data, which records what a property actually sold for, and that data does not carry an energy band. To judge a local market you need the sold prices for a street, a postcode or a town, which you can see on our sold house prices pages and compare by area on house prices. Our methodology explains where every figure comes from.

If you are thinking of selling, the two questions are separate. What have similar homes nearby actually sold for? And what would a buyer pay for this one? You can start with a free house valuation based on recorded sales, then treat the EPC as one more thing a buyer will look at.

Frequently asked questions

How long is an EPC valid for?

An EPC is valid for ten years from the date it is issued, and a newer certificate replaces an older one for marketing purposes.

Does a poor EPC rating stop a sale?

No, a low rating does not block a sale. It tells a buyer that the home may cost more to run and may need work, and it can affect what a landlord is allowed to do with a rented property rather than whether an owner can sell.

How much does an EPC cost?

The cost is set by the assessor or the company you book with rather than by the government, so it varies with the size of the property, the location and how soon you want the visit. Ask for a quote before booking.