Get an EPC for Your Home: Request an Accredited Assessor
Selling or letting a home in England or Wales means having a valid Energy Performance Certificate. Here is how to get one, and what to expect.
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rates how energy efficient a property is, from A (best) to G (worst). You need one when you sell a property or rent it out, and only an accredited energy assessor can produce it. Request an assessment below and we’ll put you in touch with a trusted accredited assessor, or read on first to see what is involved.
Request an EPC assessment
Tell us about the property and we’ll put you in touch with a trusted accredited energy assessor. You need to give us your contact details so they can arrange the visit.
Not sure you need one? You may already have a valid certificate. Check the EPC register by postcode first.
When do you need an EPC?
You must have an EPC when you are selling a property, renting it out or building a new one. You must order an EPC for potential buyers and tenants before you market the property. For a let, the EPC must be commissioned before the property is put on the market, and you must use all reasonable efforts to get it within 7 days of first marketing. A further 21 days is allowed if it still cannot be obtained. You can be fined if you do not get an EPC when you need one.
The seller or landlord must give the EPC, free of charge, to the person who becomes the buyer or tenant. An agent may help arrange it, but the duty stays with you.
When you do not need one
Someone already living in a home, or renting it, does not need an EPC unless they sell, assign or sublet their interest in it. GOV.UK also lists buildings that do not need an EPC at all, including:
- temporary buildings used for less than 2 years
- stand-alone buildings with a total useful floor space of less than 50 square metres
- places of worship
- holiday accommodation rented out for less than 4 months a year, or let under a licence to occupy
- residential buildings intended to be used less than 4 months a year
- some buildings due to be demolished
- listed buildings, if the work needed to meet minimum energy performance requirements would unacceptably alter their character or appearance
For a listed building, check with your local authority’s conservation officer. If you are unsure whether your property is exempt, GOV.UK’s guidance is the place to confirm it.
Who carries out an EPC survey?
People often search for an EPC surveyor. The person who does the work is an accredited domestic energy assessor, and only an accredited assessor may carry out the assessment and produce the certificate. Assessors can be self-employed, or work for an organisation such as a surveying firm or an energy company. They must belong to a government-approved accreditation scheme, and they must act independently and declare any conflict of interest.
You can find an assessor yourself through GOV.UK’s “find an accredited assessor” service, and check that they are part of an accredited scheme before you book. Or request an assessment here and we’ll put you in touch with a trusted accredited assessor.
What happens during the assessment?
For an existing home, the assessor carries out a physical survey. They will need to get into all the rooms, and to see the boiler and the loft if there is safe access. They may photograph items such as heaters and meters, any unusual features, and any area they cannot reach or inspect, such as a fully boarded loft.
Some features cannot be seen, such as cavity wall or underfloor insulation. Without supporting evidence, such as receipts, the assessor cannot include them. Where part of the building cannot be inspected, an assumption is made based on the age of the building. Assessors are not required to take unnecessary risks.
Having some information to hand makes the visit easier and the rating more accurate. The assessor will want to know:
- when the building was built, and whether and when it was extended
- whether it has double glazing, with any certificates
- whether the walls are insulated, and if so whether that is cavity, internal or external insulation
- when the boiler and hot water cylinder were installed, with make and model if you have the manuals
- where the room thermostats and heating timers are
- where the gas and electricity meters are
- the type of heating fuel, and how each room is heated
After the visit, the assessor enters the data into government-approved software, which produces the EPC and its recommendations. The assessor lodges the result on the national register, where it is given a unique reference number, and gives you a copy.
How long does an EPC take?
GOV.UK does not publish a standard time for an assessment, so we do not quote one. Ask the assessor how long the visit will take and when you will receive the certificate. If you are about to market a property, remember the timings above: for a let you must use all reasonable efforts to have the EPC within 7 days of first marketing.
What affects your EPC rating?
The rating is worked out from the building itself and its services, not from how you live in it. The calculation takes account of:
- the type of building, such as a flat, house or bungalow, and whether it is detached
- the age of the building
- the number of habitable rooms
- extensions and rooms in the roof
- the dimensions of the building and the number of floors
- the amount and type of glazing
- what the walls are built from, and whether they are insulated
- roof construction and insulation
- the number of chimneys and open flues
- the heating system and the fuel it uses
The result is adjusted for floor area, and it uses standard assumptions about how a home is occupied. So it does not depend on how many people live there, how many appliances you own, or how you choose to heat the home. That lets buyers and tenants compare homes like for like.
The certificate also lists steps that could improve the rating, with an indicative cost, typical saving and the rating after each step. If the property is rented, see the MEES regulations guide for the minimum standard that applies to lets.
How long is an EPC valid?
An EPC is valid for 10 years, or until a newer EPC is produced for the same building. You can reuse it as many times as you need to within that period, however many times the property is sold or let.
Check whether you already have an EPC
Before you pay for a new one, look the property up. If a valid certificate is on the register you can download it for free. If the property does not appear, or its certificate has expired, you will need a new one. Use our EPC checker to search by postcode, or the official find an energy certificate service.
How much does an EPC cost?
GOV.UK says the cost of an assessment varies by assessor and the size of the property. It does not publish a standard price, so the honest answer is to get the price from the assessor before you agree to the visit. Our EPC assessment cost guide looks at how the cost varies by area.
Getting an EPC: frequently asked questions
Do I need an EPC to sell my house?+
Yes. You must have an EPC when you sell a property, and you must order one for potential buyers before you market it. The one exception is a building that does not need an EPC at all, such as a place of worship or a building of under 50 square metres that stands alone. GOV.UK lists them.
Do I need an EPC to rent out a property?+
Yes. The EPC must be commissioned before the property is put on the market, and you must use all reasonable efforts to have it within 7 days of first marketing, with a further 21 days allowed if it still cannot be obtained. Rented homes in England and Wales also have a minimum rating, currently band E.
Who can carry out an EPC survey?+
Only an accredited domestic energy assessor may carry out an assessment and produce an EPC for a home. Assessors can be self-employed or work for a company such as a surveying firm or an energy company, and they must belong to a government-approved accreditation scheme.
Does the assessor need to visit the property?+
For an existing building, yes. The assessor must carry out a physical survey of the property, which means getting into the rooms, looking at the boiler and, where there is safe access, the loft.
How much does an EPC cost?+
GOV.UK says the cost of an assessment varies by assessor and the size of the property, and it does not publish a standard price. Ask for the price before you book. Our EPC assessment cost guide looks at how the cost varies by area.
How long is an EPC valid?+
An EPC is valid for 10 years, or until a newer EPC is produced for the same building. You can reuse it for any number of sales or lets within that period.
Do I have to carry out the improvements the EPC recommends?+
The EPC itself does not require you to. The guidance says there is no statutory requirement to carry out the recommended measures. Rented homes are different: they have a separate minimum standard, which our MEES regulations guide explains.
What if I think the rating is wrong?+
Complain to the assessor first. If you are still unhappy, contact the assessor’s accreditation scheme. Where the information is found to be incorrect, a new EPC must be issued and the register corrected, at no cost to the person who complained.
Ready to arrange your EPC?
Request an EPC assessment
Tell us about the property and we’ll put you in touch with a trusted accredited energy assessor. You need to give us your contact details so they can arrange the visit.