Energy Performance Certificates - EPC's

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required by law when you sell your property. The seller is responsible to ensure that they have ordered a EPC at the same time they put their home on the market and be in possession of the EPC within 28 days of marketing the property. Trading standards are responsible for ensuring that home sellers do not break the law and can issue fines up to £200 for non compliance.

It is important to organise your EPC either before or at the time of putting your home on the market.

Selling a Home an EPC and Your Responsibility

It is the sellers responsibility to arrange an EPC for a property that is on the market.

When does the EPC have to be provided?
An EPC has to be available or have been commissioned before a home can be marketed for sale. It should be provided to potential buyers at the earliest opportunity and before entering into a contract to sell the property.

What is the penalty for not providing an EPC - who will enforce it?

There is a fixed penalty of £200. Enforcement of these requirements is the responsibility of Trading Standards Officers. There are also penalties for not complying with the duty to commission an EPC before putting the property on the market.

What the law says about Energy Performance Certificates

When you are selling property privately like any other seller in England & Wales means that you will need a Energy Performance Certificate in fact the Energy Performance Certificate is required by law when a building is constructed, sold or put up for rent. Once you have an EPC for a home for sale, it's valid for three years.

So What is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

The Energy Performance Certificate gives home owners, tenants and buyers information on the energy efficiency of their property. It gives the building a standard energy and carbon emission efficiency grade from ‘A’ to ‘G’, where ‘A’ is the most efficient. The average efficiency grade to date is 'D'.

Why has the government introduced Energy performance Certificates

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are being introduced to help improve the energy efficiency of buildings.

If you are buying or selling a home you now need a certificate by law. From October 2008 EPC's will be required whenever a building is built, sold or rented out. The certificate provides 'A' to 'G' ratings for the building, with 'A' being the most energy efficient and 'G' being the least, with the average up to now being 'D'.

EPC's can only be produced as a result of a survey by an ‘accredited’ Domestic Energy Assessor. EPC's are used to collect standard information on the property – for example, its size and hot water/heating systems. The information is then fed in

to a government-approved software programme which produces the EPC . The Hips supplied by our supplier include a EPC.

How much does an Energy Performance Certificate Cost?

The price of an EPC is set by the accredited organisations which issue them. When you obtain a Home Information Pack, the overall cost should include that of an EPC. If you apply for an EPC on its own then the cost for an average house is approximately £100.

How long will it take to get one?

Obtaining an EPC for an average sized home is likely to take the same time as a house valuation report. The exact time will vary from property to property.

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