EPC Ratings – What Are They And Why Do I Need One?

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are documents that show you how energy efficient a building is.

There are different levels of energy rates, starting at A being ‘very efficient and then G being the most inefficient. These energy ratings are colour coded, much like the coloured labels you find on new home appliances, such as washing machines or fridge-freezers.

The rating assists in showing how costly it could be to heat and light your property, as well as showing what its CO2 emissions are likely to be. The EPC itself will also include recommendations on effective improvements you can make to your property to improve your EPC rating, such as solar panels, or boiler replacements. It will also then advise what your new potential rating could become following any improvements you make.

Not all EPC’s look the same and dependant on where in the UK you were looking, there can be slight differences dependant, but they all tell you the same information.

But why do you need one to sell a property?

Simply an EPC is an essential document required when selling a property, which should be in place prior to marketing the property with an estate agent. If when you come to sell your property and you find that your EPC has since expired (they are valid for 10 years), then the agent you market your property with can assist in obtaining a new one for you.

The EPC is to assist potential buyers of property by giving them an insight into their potential costs of running the property, along with knowing the properties current environmental impact, which many people now a days may find even more important. In some cases, a very good EPC rating for a property could potentially lead to an increased property value.

It is also important to note, that if you are a landlord or purchasing property to become a landlord, then an EPC is also a legal requirement when renting a property. This must be in place and the rating must be E or above to be able to rent on a tenancy agreement.

There are also exemptions in certain cases with regards to EPC’s, meaning there are certain properties that do not require EPC’s to be carried out at all. But this doesn’t mean that you cannot get one if you wanted one.

These exemptions are:

• 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 no-residential agricultural buildings that do not 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
• Residential buildings intended to be used less than 4 months a year
• Places of worship

If you want to check if your property has a valid EPC in place, then you can find them following this link: Find an energy certificate – GOV.UK