Energy Performance Certificates

What is an energy performance certificate?

An energy performance certificate rates the energy efficiency of domestic and commercial buildings in the UK, giving buyers and renters insight into how much it costs to heat and light the property. 

An EPC assigns a property a letter rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and a numerical energy score, and estimates its running costs and carbon emissions. 

For properties in England in 2025, the average energy rating is a C, and the average energy score is 69. In Wales, the average energy rating is a D, with a slightly lower average score of 68.^[3]

EPCs also identify upgrades you can make to improve this rating and lower your energy bills, and the new rating and score the property could achieve with these changes.

EPCs are issued by accredited assessors following a survey of your property, which typically costs between £60 and £120, depending on the property’s size, age, and location.^[4] An EPC is valid for 10 years. You must have an up-to-date EPC if you’re selling or renting out a property or even just marketing it for sale or rent.^[1]

You can check the EPC of any property in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland using this free government service. 

For properties in Scotland, you can use the Scottish Energy Performance Certificate Register.

What can you see on your energy performance certificate?

EPCs vary somewhat between England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and have been tweaked over the years, so the one for your property might not look exactly like this. But the main elements should be there, in some order.

• Energy efficiency rating

  Your property is assigned a letter energy rating—from G to A—and a numerical score—from 1 to 92+— based on its current energy efficiency. These are displayed in a chart. Most certificates also display the potential energy rating and score of the property if you make recommended upgrades.

• Breakdown of the energy performance

  You’ll also see an assessment of key features in the property, rating them very good, good, average, poor, or very poor. These ratings determine the overall energy rating and score of the property. Sometimes a rating of a property feature will be “assumed,” not directly assessed, but rather based on the property’s age and type. Features assessed include:

  • Walls: whether they’re cavity or solid, and the presence of insulation

  • Roof: whether it’s flat or pitched, the presence of insulation, or, in flats, if there is another property above

  • Windows: whether they’re single, double, or triple- glazed

  • Heating: whether the flat uses a gas boiler, electric heat pumps, electric storage heating, LPG boilers, or doesn’t have central heating. The efficiency of the heating, e.g., the appliance rating of the boiler and whether it's condensing or not.

  • Heating control: how temperature is adjusted, for example, with a basic thermostat, a smart thermostat, with zoning controls, etc.

  • Hot water: how water is heated, for example, by a gas boiler or electric shower

  • Lighting: the bulbs used, e.g., LEDs

  • Floor: whether the floor is insulated or, in flats, there is another property below

  • Secondary heating: Many homes supplement inadequate central heating with additional heat, such as portable electric heating, wood-burning stoves, or chimneys. These usually lower a home’s score and EPC rating.

• Estimated energy costs

  The EPC will estimate the annual energy costs for heating, hot water, and lighting on the property, based on typical use and average energy prices for the year the EPC was produced.

• Impact on the environment

  The EPC also estimates the carbon emissions associated with the property’s annual energy use (in tonnes of CO2) and rates its impact on the environment from A (best) to G (worst). For context, the average UK property produces 6 tonnes of CO2 annually.^[5] The EPC also estimates the potential CO2 emissions of the property if the suggested energy-saving measures are adopted.

• Steps you can take to save energy

  The EPC also outlines changes that can be made to the property to improve its energy efficiency. It notes the standard installation cost of these upgrades and the typical annual savings from them. The suggested steps may include installing insulation, buying a more efficient boiler, or installing double glazing. The steps are listed in a recommended order: for example, it’s more efficient to insulate a property before installing a new boiler, because the heat from the boiler would simply leak out of a poorly insulated home.

• Information about the assessor

  The certificate also provides the name and contact information for the assessor who produced it, along with their accreditation scheme.

EPC ratings explained

EPC ratings consist of two parts: 

1. 1

   A letter grade from G (least efficient) to A (most efficient)

2. 2

   A numerical score, from 1 to 92+, the points it receives under the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) used by assessors to evaluate the property.

The three things that most contribute to a property’s SAP score and thus its EPC rating are:

1. The heating system in the property

2. The amount of insulation present

3. The fuel used (natural gas, LPG, electric, etc.)

A-rated properties are extremely rare. In 2022, just over 2,500 homes achieved that rigorous rating, out of the 1.5 million new EPCs issued. A-rated properties likely have most of the following characteristics:

New builds or homes retrofitted to the latest energy efficiency standards

• Have high levels of insulation on lofts (>270mm), walls, and floors

• Triple-glazed windows

• Energy-efficient heating and hot water, most likely with an electric heat pump

• Smart heating controls, with timing and zoning

• LED lighting

• Solar PV panels

B-rated properties are more common, with 3.78% of homes achieving that rating in 2022, according to government data. They likely have:

• High levels of insulation

• Double- or triple-glazed windows

• A heat pump or highly efficient condensing boiler (>89% efficient)

• Smart thermostats with zoning, radiators with thermostatic valves (TRVs)

• LED lighting

• Possibly solar panels

• Built in the last 15 years or has undergone a comprehensive retrofit

C-rated properties meet the minimum target that the government wants all homes to achieve by 2035. The government is also proposing that all privately rented properties achieve a C by 2028 for new tenancies and by 2030 for all tenancies.

C-rated properties likely have:

• Some loft insulation

• Cavity wall insulation

• Double-glazed windows, possibly older

• Modern gas boilers, possibly older

• Thermostats, but no smart features or zoning

• No solar panels

• Older properties

More than half of UK properties are rated inadequate, with ratings between D and G. The worst of these, G-rated properties:

• Have no heating or rely on inefficient room heaters, such as portable electric heaters

• Have no or minimal insulation

• Use expensive fuel to heat their homes, such as LPG or peak electric

Why would you need an energy performance certificate?

It’s a legal requirement to have an in-date EPC for most domestic and commercial properties in the UK when you:

• Sell it

• Rent it out

• Finish a build

EPCs last 10 years and must be updated when they expire. For example, if you’re selling your home and haven’t had an EPC done in over 10 years, you’ll need to get a new one before seeking out a buyer.

You must have the EPC in place before marketing a property for sale or rent, including listing it with estate agents or online. The EPC must be available to view by prospective buyers or tenants. 

You could face fines of up to £5,000 for failing to provide an EPC when required, although the amount is based on the rateable value of the property. The higher amount is usually reserved for commercial properties, while penalties for domestic properties fall between £200 and £1,000.

Is my home exempt from an EPC?

While most homes require an up-to-date EPC when being sold, rented, or completed, there are a few limited exceptions, most of which don’t apply to homes.

If you’re unsure if your property requires an EPC, contact an assessor, who can clarify.

How much does an EPC cost?

It costs between £60 and £120 to obtain an EPC for a home from a credentialed Domestic Energy Assessor.

The amount you’ll pay varies, depending on:

EPCs for commercial properties typically cost more, ranging between £100 and £1,500, with the cost depending on the size and location of the building, its business use (a small shop or office is cheaper to assess than a hotel), and complexity.^[7]

How to get an EPC for your home

Legally, EPCs can only be produced by accredited Domestic or Non-domestic Energy Assessors, trained, certified, and registered through a government-approved scheme, such as Elmhurst and Quidos.^[8]

To find an assessor or check the credentials of one, you can consult government-maintained registers:

• In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland: https://www.gov.uk/get-new-energy-certificate

• In Scotland: https://www.scottishepcregister.org.uk/assessorsearch

You can also ask your estate agent to recommend an energy assessor or perform a simple Google search.

The assessor will then visit your home at an agreed time and evaluate its features, including the heating, windows, roof, and walls. The visit should take 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the size and complexity of the property.^[9]

The assessor will then send you your EPC report within a few days. It will also be published on the government’s website, searchable by you and potential buyers and tenants of the property.^[10]

How long are EPCs valid for?

EPCs are valid for 10 years from the date they are issued.^[1]

However, when yours expires, you don’t automatically need to obtain a new one unless you’re selling or renting out the property.

If you’ve made major upgrades to the property, it may be worth getting a new EPC before yours expires to reflect the changes and accurately advertise the place to potential tenants and buyers.

How to improve your home’s EPC rating

Conveniently, EPCs come with specific recommendations, telling you exactly the changes you should make to improve your property’s energy efficiency and thus EPC rating.