Energy Performance Certificates: your questions, answered

An Energy Performance Certificate rates how energy efficient a building is, from A (best) to G (worst). It records the property's energy use and typical energy costs and recommends steps to improve efficiency and save money.

Whenever a property is sold, let or newly built. It has to be ordered before the property is marketed.

10 years. You can check the date for any address on the GOV.UK register.

Only an accredited energy assessor. For existing homes that is a Domestic Energy Assessor; for business premises, a Non-Domestic Energy Assessor. Each belongs to a government-approved accreditation scheme.

From a standard calculation, currently RdSAP 10 for existing homes. It uses the construction, insulation, heating, hot water, lighting and any renewables, and it assumes a typical household so that homes can be compared fairly. It does not use your actual bills.

GOV.UK lists temporary buildings used for less than 2 years, stand-alone buildings under 50 square metres, places of worship, some buildings due for demolition, holiday accommodation let for less than 4 months a year, and low-energy industrial and agricultural buildings. Listed buildings are exempt only where the work needed would unacceptably alter their character.

Visits are usually booked within 24 to 48 hours.

30 minutes to 1 hour for most homes.

Every room, the loft, the boiler, the hot water cylinder, the heating controls and the gas and electricity meters.

No. It is non-invasive. Nothing is drilled, lifted or dismantled.

Any paperwork for work that cannot be seen: insulation guarantees, window and boiler certificates, building control sign-off for extensions, and solar or heat pump certificates. Our preparation guide has the full list.

Domestic EPCs start from £50 and commercial EPCs from £150. The price for your property depends on its size and layout, and we confirm one figure before you book, with no hidden fees. See how our prices work.

From £35. It can be drawn from the same visit as the EPC.

Yes, for landlords, agents and housing providers with several properties.

Band E or better today. The government has confirmed that privately rented homes in England and Wales must reach the equivalent of band C by 1 October 2030.

Up to £5,000 per property under the current rules, unless an exemption has been registered. From 2030 the planned maximum is £30,000 per property.

The planned cost cap is £10,000 per property, or 10% of the value of homes worth less than £100,000. Spending since 1 October 2025 counts towards it.

Yes, if it is issued before 1 October 2029. The property is then treated as compliant until that certificate expires or is replaced.

No. An EPC is a rating with a short list of recommendations. A retrofit assessment is a fuller survey under PAS 2035 that also records condition, occupancy and ventilation. We can carry out both in one visit.

Not since 28 April 2026, when a valid EPC stopped being a mandatory requirement of the scheme. A current certificate is still a useful record of the home before the work. See our guide to grants and schemes.

Not always. Today's rating is based on running cost, and electricity costs more per unit than gas, so swapping a gas boiler for a heat pump can leave the rating unchanged or lower. The new-style certificate due in the second half of 2027 will rate the heating system separately. Our heat pump guide explains more.

Usually, yes. The electricity the panels generate is counted in the calculation. Keep the MCS certificate, because it shows the size of the system and lets us record it accurately. See solar panels and batteries.

On the GOV.UK register. Search by postcode and download it free of charge.

Yes. Once the work is done we re-assess and lodge a new certificate, which replaces the old one. Our energy advice service shows which improvements will move the rating before you spend anything.

Raise it with us first and we will go through the evidence with you. If you remain unhappy, you can complain to the accreditation scheme named on the certificate.

Yes, when they are sold, rented out or newly completed. The certificate is valid for 10 years.

Band E, for all leases, since 1 April 2023.

Between £500 and £5,000, based on the rateable value of the building.