Sale of Property

Why should I get an EPC when selling my house or flat?

• It is the law, whether it is sold privately or through an estate agent. Some estate agents take a cut so it could be cheaper going directly to a Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA).
• Some improvements made to the property will result in a better rating and a new EPC would reflect this making your property more attractive to potential buyers.
• If your current EPC has expired: an EPC is valid for 10 years.

Buildings that do not need an EPC:

• places of worship
• temporary buildings that will be used for less than 2 years
• stand-alone buildings with total useful floor space of less than 50 square meters
• industrial sites, workshops and non-residential agricultural buildings that don’t use a lot of energy
• some buildings that are due to be demolished
• holiday accommodation that’s rented out for less than 4 months a year or is let under a licence to occupy
• listed buildings - you should get advice from your local authority conservation officer if the work would alter the building’s character
• residential buildings intended to be used less than 4 months a year

Further reading: A guide to energy performance certificates for the marketing, sale and let of domestic properties, Department for Communities and Local Government*.

* The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) changed its name to Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) recently. However, many online documents have not yet been updated with the new name.