When you buy a house in England or Wales, the seller must show you an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Check three things before you make an offer: the rating band, the date, and the list of recommended improvements with their indicative costs. Together they tell you roughly how expensive the house will be to heat and what it could cost to fix.
An EPC is a guide, not a survey. It does not replace a survey and it does not tell you what your bills will be. It does give you a cheap, standard way to compare one house with another before you commit.
Look up the EPC now
Type the postcode of the house you are looking at. If the house has a certificate on the register, it will show here.
Look up a property’s EPC
Enter a postcode to find the certificate on the official register, see its rating and when it expires.
If nothing comes up, the house may have no certificate, or the certificate may have expired. The section on missing certificates below explains what to do.
Where to find the seller's EPC
There are three places, and all of them are free to you.
The listing. When a home is advertised for sale, the EPC rating must appear in the advert. The rule is in regulation 11(2) of the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, which says the energy performance rating must be stated in any advertisement of the sale in commercial media. GOV.UK's guidance says commercial media includes the internet, so property portals count. The advert only needs the rating, for example "C". It does not have to show the full certificate.
The seller or agent. The same regulations, in regulation 6, require the seller to make a valid EPC available to a prospective buyer free of charge, no later than the first written information about the house or the first viewing, whichever is earlier. The person who ends up buying the house must be given a valid EPC as well. There is a narrow exception if the seller reasonably believes you lack the means to buy or are not genuinely interested.
The government register. GOV.UK's find an energy certificate service lets you search by postcode, by street and town, or by certificate number. It covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. GOV.UK says you can download a valid EPC for free. Our own guide to finding an EPC by postcode covers the search in more detail.
This guide covers England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate rules.
What if the EPC is missing or out of date?
An EPC is valid for 10 years. GOV.UK's guidance adds that it stays valid for that period, or until a newer one is produced for the same building, however many times the house is sold. So a certificate from eight years ago is still legally valid, but it may describe a house that has since changed.
If there is no valid certificate, the seller has to commission one before marketing the house. The same guidance says a person acting for the seller, such as the agent, must be satisfied that one has been commissioned. Ask for it. Our guide to how long an EPC lasts explains expiry in full.
Listed and protected buildings can be exempt where meeting the standards would unacceptably alter their character or appearance. The exemption is in regulation 5(1)(a) and is described in the same guidance. If the house is listed and has no EPC, ask why.
How to read an EPC
The front page carries the numbers most buyers look at. The rest of the document holds the detail that matters for your offer.
The band and score. Bands run from A (most efficient) to G (least). The score runs from 1 to 100 and each band covers a range of it. The Office for National Statistics gives the ranges: A is 92 plus, B is 81 to 91, C is 69 to 80, D is 55 to 68, E is 39 to 54, F is 21 to 38 and G is 1 to 20. The score is an index of running costs, where 100 represents zero energy costs, according to the English Housing Survey. Our article on what counts as a good EPC rating puts the bands in context.
Current and potential rating. The potential rating shows what the house could reach. GOV.UK's guidance says it is based on all the cost-effective recommendations being carried out. The gap between current and potential tells you how much room there is to improve.
Recommendations. Each one comes with an indicative cost, a typical saving and the rating after the change. GOV.UK's guidance also notes there is no legal requirement to carry out any of them. Treat the costs as a starting point and get quotes for anything you plan to do.
The date. Check when the certificate was lodged. If the seller has replaced the boiler, added insulation or fitted solar panels since then, the real rating may be better than the certificate says. If the house has been extended, it may be worse.
What it does not cover. The assessment looks at the heating and other systems that are present. GOV.UK's guidance says it does not comment on their safety or maintenance and does not confirm a system is fit for purpose. It also uses standard occupancy assumptions, so it describes the building, not how any household uses it. If the rating looks wrong, see how to challenge an EPC.
The EPC format itself is due to change. Government has moved the launch of the reformed domestic EPCs to the second half of 2027, so a certificate lodged today will eventually sit alongside the new kind.
The seller’s actual EPC is free to look up
The property you are buying should already have a certificate, and anyone can look it up for free on the official register. Search by address on our EPC checker.
Look up the seller’s EPCPre-purchase energy report: coming soon
We are looking at a report that explains what a property’s energy rating could mean for you before you buy. It is not available yet. Leave your email and we will tell you if it launches.
What a low rating means for running costs
A low band means the house loses heat more easily or heats it less efficiently. That usually means higher bills.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has data on this. Nationwide's June 2026 report quotes it as showing that median equivalised fuel costs for a property rated A, B or C are around £400 a year lower than for a D-rated property, and £1,200 a year lower than for an E-rated one. "Equivalised" means adjusted for household size. These are medians across many homes, so your own bills will differ.
Use the EPC to compare houses, then ask the seller for real bills.
What a low rating means for upgrade costs
The recommendations page gives a rough idea. For a wider benchmark, the English Housing Survey 2024-25 reports the average cost to bring a home up to band C:
- D-rated homes: £6,002
- E-rated homes: £12,430
- F or G-rated homes: £17,354
These are averages for England, and any single house can cost far more or less. The same survey found that only 27% of homes built before 1919 were in bands A to C.
Do not treat the average as a bid discount. Treat it as a reason to get quotes before you offer. A house that needs £12,000 of work to reach band C is a different purchase from one that needs £2,000.
Does the rating change what a house is worth?
A little, and mostly at the extremes. Nationwide's June 2026 analysis of owner-occupied homes in England found that A or B rated homes sold for a 1.6% premium over similar D-rated homes, about £4,500. F or G rated homes sold for 1.4% less, about £4,000. C and E rated homes showed little difference from D. The full evidence, including older studies with larger figures, is in our article on whether EPC rating affects house price.
For a buyer, the practical point is that a poor rating is a reason to ask for a lower price only if the work it implies is real and costly. A D-rated house with a sound heating system is a different case from a G-rated house with no loft insulation.
The mortgage angle
Some lenders offer cheaper rates or cashback on energy efficient homes. NatWest's green mortgages, for example, require a valid EPC of A or B. A band C or D home will not qualify for that product, unless it is a new build bought within two years of construction, though it can still get a standard mortgage.
Lender criteria and products change often. Our guide to green mortgages in the UK lists the lenders and what each one needs. Ask your broker which products are open to you at the band the house has today.
If you are buying to let
Buying to let is different. The EPC then decides whether you can rent the house out.
In England and Wales the minimum EPC band for letting is E, under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/962). The cost cap in force is £3,500 including VAT, the most a landlord is currently required to spend on improvements. A house rated F or G cannot be let unless it is upgraded or has a valid exemption.
The government has decided on a higher standard but it is not yet law. In its response of 21 January 2026, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero set 1 October 2030 as the date by which all tenancies in scope must comply. It is usually described as EPC C, but it is a dual-metric standard, not a plain band C. It needs an Act of Parliament and then a statutory instrument before it applies. The government response also proposes a higher cost cap of £10,000 per property. That cap is a proposal, not the rule today.
What this means for a purchase: check the current band against the minimum of E, and price in the chance that you will need to reach the proposed standard. Our buy-to-let EPC due diligence checklist covers tenants, exemptions and mortgage rules step by step.
Questions to ask the seller or agent
- When was the EPC lodged, and has anything changed in the house since?
- Has the heating system, insulation or glazing been replaced or added? Do you have the paperwork and guarantees?
- Were any of the EPC's recommendations carried out?
- What has the house cost to heat over the last 12 months? Can I see the bills?
- How is the house heated, and how old is the boiler or heat source?
- For a buy-to-let: is the property let, is there a tenant in place, and does it rely on an exemption?
Put the answers next to the EPC. If they disagree, you may have found the thing to negotiate on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the seller have to give me the EPC? Yes. Regulation 6 of the 2012 regulations requires the seller to make a valid EPC available free of charge to a prospective buyer, at the latest when they first give written information about the house or when you view it. The person who ends up buying must be given one as well.
Is the EPC rating shown on property listings? It should be. Regulation 11(2) requires the rating to be stated in adverts in commercial media. GOV.UK's guidance says that includes the internet. The advert does not have to show the full certificate.
How do I find a house's EPC for free? Use GOV.UK's find an energy certificate service. You can search by postcode, street and town, or certificate number, and GOV.UK says you can download a valid EPC for free.
How long is an EPC valid for? Ten years, or until a newer one is produced for the same building. A certificate can be reused many times in that period, so check the lodgement date and ask what has changed since.
What is a good EPC rating when buying a house? Band C or above is widely treated as good, and band D is the average for English homes. See our guide to what is a good EPC rating for the score ranges and what each band means.
Should I walk away from a house with a low EPC rating? Not automatically. Get quotes for the recommended work, compare the total with the asking price, and ask your broker about lending. A low rating is a cost to price in, not a verdict on the house.
Can I use an old EPC, or do I need a new one? A valid certificate from up to 10 years ago is legally fine for the sale. It may not reflect recent work, so ask the seller about any changes.
Does the EPC tell me what my bills will be? No. It uses standard occupancy assumptions, so it describes the building rather than a particular household. Use it to compare houses and ask the seller for real bills.