What is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are needed whenever a property is:
• built
• sold
• rented
You must order an EPC for potential buyers and tenants before you market your property to sell or rent.
In Scotland, you must display the EPC somewhere in the property, eg. in the meter cupboard or next to the boiler.
An EPC contains information about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs & recommendations about how to reduce energy use and save money. An EPC gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and is valid for 10 years.
THE A TO G SCALE
Energy Performance Certificates present the energy efficiency of dwellings on a scale of A to G. The most efficient homes – which should have the lowest fuel bills – are in band A. The certificate uses the same scale to define the impact a home has on the environment. Better-rated homes should have less impact through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The average property in the UK is in band D or E for both ratings.