Energy Performance Certificate
An Energy Performance Certificate rates a home's energy efficiency from A to G. It is needed to sell or let a home and lasts 10 years.
An Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC, shows how energy efficient a home is. It gives a rating from A, the most efficient, to G, the least efficient.
In England and Wales, a home needs a valid EPC before it is marketed for sale or to let. A new home needs one when it is built.
What the certificate shows
An EPC shows the home's current energy rating and the rating it could reach with the recommended improvements. It lists those improvements, such as insulation or a more efficient heating system, with their likely effect on the rating.
It also records details of the home, including its total floor area, the type of heating and the main construction. Each certificate is held on a public register, where it can be looked up by address.
Who needs one and for how long
The seller or landlord arranges the EPC through an accredited energy assessor and pays for it. The certificate lasts 10 years. During that time it can be used for any number of sales or lettings.
A landlord letting a home in England or Wales must normally have an EPC rating of E or better, unless an exemption has been registered. Buyers and tenants must be shown the certificate. Its rating is usually shown in property listings.
EPCs and sold prices
Sold price records from HM Land Registry do not show a home's size or number of bedrooms. The floor area on an EPC can fill that gap. Dividing the sold price by the floor area gives a price per square metre, which helps when comparing homes of different sizes.
As an example, a home that sold for £250,000 with a floor area of 80 square metres works out at £3,125 per square metre. Our guide to comparing streets and postcodes explains other ways to compare areas fairly.
| Ratings | A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) |
| Valid for | 10 years |
| Needed to | Sell, let or build a home |
| Arranged by | The seller or landlord |
| Minimum to let | Usually E |
Related terms
Material information · Buy-to-let · New build · Price Paid Data · Comparables