What is an Energy Performance Certificate?
An EPC is required whenever a property is built, sold or rented. Once your property has been assessed and the EPC has been obtained, it remains valid for ten years.
Energy Performance Certificates are essential for any homeowner. Read our guide to find out what they are and how they can save you money.
An EPC is required whenever a property is built, sold or rented. Once your property has been assessed and the EPC has been obtained, it remains valid for ten years.
Once your property has been assessed, the EPC will provide you with energy efficiency information about your property. This information is split into four sections:
• General information about the property, including date of assessment
• A reference number
• An estimation of how much it will cost to power and heat your property based on your home’s energy performance
• An energy-efficiency rating (A-G)
• An Environmental Impact Carbon Dioxide rating
• Advice on how much CO2 emissions could be reduced by if your property has a low efficiency rating
• Recommendations to improve your home’s energy-efficiency
• The cost of implementing these changes
• An outline, in pounds and pence, of how much each change could potentially save you
"New build houses save homeowners over £2,400 a year in energy bills"*
Data from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) found that on average, buyers of a new build house will save over £2,400 a year in energy bills*. New build homes significantly reduce households’ energy usage, with the average new home using approximately 78KwH per m2 per year compared with older properties which require an average of 234KwH per m2.*
The average new build energy bill could be more than £150 a month cheaper. The savings rise to over £200 a month when comparing houses specifically - making it a saving of over £2,400 a year.*
*Figures sourced from HBF "Watt a Save" report update, October 2024