If you want to sell or rent out a property, you need to have a new EPC. Energy Performance Certificate is valid for 10 years and can be used multiple times during that period, as long as the rating is above an F. However, if you’ve made any energy improvements in that time, you may want to consider getting a new EPC if you’re planning to sell or rent your property to improve its rating.

A higher rating will appear more attractive to potential buyers when you’re selling in a competitive market and give you an advantage over similar properties in the area.

An EPC is also a great way to check up on your home’s energy efficiency and find out ways to improve it. You can then carry out these energy-saving suggestions to make your home cheaper to run.

Domestic assessments take on average between 30-40 minutes. Commercial assessments usually take a minimum of 45 minutes, but can take longer depending on the size and nature of the property. You can ask the assessor how long they expect to be as the time can vary between properties.

The assessment only requires a visual inspection. The assessor will require access to all rooms, including the loft. They will also need to inspect heating systems and insulation, take measurements, and also take photographs of the key data included in the visual survey. These photographs are just for the assessment and won’t be available to the public. They then use this data to produce their report.

A copy of the EPC is lodged on a national register and this can be accessed via the EPC search facility. It will be publicly available and some of the underlying data may be shared with others for the monitoring and compliance of the EPB regulations. The Government may use some of this data for research or statistical purposes.

If you require an EPC then we can usually arrange for one of our assessors to visit your property within 48-72 hours. If you need EPC urgently give us a call, we can help. Once the assessment is completed, you will receive your certificate once payment has been received. There are no up-front payments before the survey, but the EPC will only be issued once we have received your payment.

It is crucial to know why you need an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate). Pursuant to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (Directive 2002/91/EC—the EPBD), it became law in the UK in January 2009 that those with buildings offered for sale or rental were required to provide an EPC. This requirement occurs “as soon as a building is in the process” of sale or rental, which includes verbal enquiries for building particulars and requests for viewing.

The specific time that the requirement is triggered means that an EPC must be made available to any prospective buyer or tenant at the earliest opportunity – before entering into a contract, when written information about the building is given to someone who requests it and when the building is viewed by a prospective buyer or tenant.

The EPC and the accompanying Recommendation Report must be provided free of charge to prospective buyers or tenants. When a building is marketed, the EPC rating must be included within all marketing literature (including sales particulars and all advertising). If the EPC is not included within such marketing, estate agents are automatically reported to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) which could lead to a banning order.

However, it is chiefly the building owner’s responsibility as landlord or seller to provide an EPC and not doing so could lead to the Local Authority Building Control department seeking enforcement action against you as well as risking a fine of between £500 and £5,000. For landlords, this is particularly important as, since April 2018, no property with a minimum energy performance rating below E is allowed to be let.