Energy Performance Certificates show anyone thinking of buying or renting a property how energy efficient it is. 

The certificate gives a property an EPC rating from A to G, with the most efficient homes rated A and the least efficient rated G. This gives property owners and tenants a good idea of what they can expect to pay in energy bills and what work they might need to do to lower those bills and reduce the property’s carbon emissions. 

Every property owner must have one when they advertise their property to buyers or tenants. Landlords must achieve a minimum rating of E in order to be able to let their property.

How can I get an EPC?

To get an EPC, you’ll need to find a trained, accredited domestic energy assessor on the EPC Register. Costs vary, but you can expect to pay between £50 and £100 for a certificate that will be valid for 10 years. EPC checks are more expensive for larger properties. 

Domestic energy assessors use a standard assessment procedure to give the property its rating. They’ll look at:

• The property layout and whether it is detached, terraced or an apartment. 
• The age of the property.
• How the property was built.
• Insulation and double glazing.
• The boiler and heating system.
• The water tank.

The assessor will put all the information they gather into a software program to produce the rating, though they can override the software if needed to give an accurate rating.

Every property is different, but older properties which haven’t had work done to make them more energy efficient will usually be rated around D. 

What’s on the certificate?

The certificate will include details of the property, including the address and the date the assessment was done. It will also include the assessor’s name and information on how to complain if you feel the assessment wasn’t carried out accurately. 

There will be two ratings on the certificate: energy efficiency and environmental impact. 

The ratings show both the current performance and the potential performance, if work was to be carried out. 

What work might be needed?

The work that you might need to do to increase your property’s rating includes:

• Introducing cavity wall or loft insulation
• Fitting low energy lighting
• Fitting thermostatic valves to the radiators
• Replacing an old boiler or heating system
• Fitting double glazed windows

What happens if I get a low rating?

Since 1st April 2018, if your property was given a rating of less than E (an F or G rating), then you’ll need to carry out work to improve the rating to at least E. You’ll need to do this if there is a new tenancy. 

A new tenancy means:

• When you create a new tenancy. 
• When you renew an existing tenancy. 
• When a fixed-term tenancy rolls into a periodic tenancy.
• When a new tenant inherits or takes over a Rent Act protected tenancy.
• When an agricultural occupancy or other similar tenancy is created, renewed or extended. 

You must have done the work by 1st April 2020. After that, you won’t be able to let a property with a rating less than E. There are some funding grants available to help with the cost. 

There are also some grounds for exemption. You can apply for an exemption if the cost of the work is exceptionally high, or if you can prove that it would damage the building. For example, it might not be possible to introduce cavity wall insulation in an older property. 

What happens if I fail to carry out the work?

You can be fined by the local authority. The maximum penalties are:

• Up to £2000 for letting a property that doesn’t comply for less than three months. 
• Up to £4000 for letting a property that doesn’t comply for more than three months. 
• Up to £2000 for ignoring a compliance notice. 
• Up to £1000 for providing false information. 

What happens if I don’t provide an EPC?

If you don’t provide an EPC, you won’t be able to provide a valid Section 21 notice if you want to evict a tenant. 

It can be tricky to keep up with landlord requirements. Lyvly’s landlord blog regularly publishes content on existing and proposed regulations and reports on the property market. Check out the regulation section of our landlord advice blog for more on meeting your obligations as a landlord.