Does everyone need an EPC?

The EPC is required by law when a building is constructed, sold or put up for rent.

 Sellers or buyers of homes
All sellers of homes need to ensure that they provide a Home Information Pack which includes an EPC for potential buyers.

An EPC must be made available to a potential homebuyer – free of charge.

 Builders
An EPC needs to be provided to buyers of newly built properties.

 Landlords
If you are a landlord, you’ll need to make an EPC available to prospective tenants the first time you let a home after 1 October 2008. An EPC is only required for a property which is self-contained, and is valid for 10 years.

An EPC isn’t required when a tenant rents a room and shares facilities.

 Tenants
If you are interested in renting a property then an EPC must be made available to you free of charge. An EPC is only required for a property which is self-contained, and is valid for 10 years.

If you are a prospective tenant, an EPC isn’t required when you rent a room and share facilities.

 If you are not in one of the above categories

Even if you do not fall into the above categories, you can still apply for and receive an EPC. This may be because you want to know what the energy efficiency of your home is and implement improvements suggested by the recommendation report.

The certificate provides a rating for the building, showing its energy efficiency. The ratings are similar to those found on products such as fridges and are standard so the energy efficiency of one building can easily be compared with another building of a similar type.  

Example of energy efficiency rating graph for homes

 Contact us for more details