This page summarises the facts that most will need to know if selling, marketing, purchasing or renting property. If you have a question we've not answered in our "Non-Domestic Energy Performance FAQs,” ask us a question, and we will get back to you. Alternatively, the UK Government provides detailed facts about EPCs on their website.
This page summarises the facts that most will need to know if selling, marketing, purchasing or renting property. If you have a question we've not answered in our "Non-Domestic Energy Performance FAQs,” ask us a question, and we will get back to you. Alternatively, the UK Government provides detailed facts about EPCs on their website.
What is an EPC?
An EPC looks broadly similar to the energy labels provided on many household appliances. It provides an efficiency scale from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is very inefficient. The Non-Domestic EPC rates the energy efficiency of the building and its services based on their carbon footprints rather than cost. An EPC is accompanied by a recommendation report which helps owners and occupiers to improve the efficiency of the building.
When is an EPC Required?
An EPC is required for a building when constructed, sold or let. It is an offence not to provide an EPC on these occasions. A building can either be the whole of a building or part of a building, where the part is designed or altered to be used separately. An EPC is not required for a building that is a place of worship, a temporary building, a detached building of less than 50m², a building with a low-energy demand or a building that is to be demolished.
What if I don’t get an EPC?
If you’re selling or you’re a landlord and you do not have an EPC, you could be fined up to £5,000. And under new government proposals, this would be increased to £30,000 from 2025. You can market a property if you have commissioned an EPC and are waiting for it to be produced, but you must have an EPC before allowing prospective tenants and/or purchasers view the property.
What is a low-energy demand building?
A low-energy demand building is a building that has no conditioning (heating and/or cooling). A building with a low energy demand may be exempt from requiring an EPC. If you think your building may be exempt from requiring an EPC, we can assess it for you and provide you with a letter of exemption.
Who should get an EPC?
When a building under construction is complete, the person carrying out the construction is responsible for providing an EPC. For an existing building, it is the responsibility of the agent, seller or landlord that is offering the building for sale or let to make an EPC available.
Who can provide an EPC?
Only a government-approved accredited energy assessor can undertake assessments and produce EPCs. An example of an accreditation card is included below. While energy assessors may be employed or self-employed, they must act independently and declare any conflict of interest when undertaking an assessment. Accreditation schemes are responsible for managing energy assessors and ensuring they are competent and qualified. Energy assessors will need to be qualified for the particular type of building being assessed.
How much does an EPC Cost?
The cost of an EPC is calculated in differing ways by different providers. The cost is often calculated according to area or the number of rooms. The complexity of the building and its services will also impact the cost, as will the extent of the information provided by the owner/occupier (plans, design specifications and manuals, etc.). At EPiC Surveys, we aim to try to understand the building before providing a quote so that the cost is based on the estimated time needed by the surveyor to complete the job.
At EPiC Surveys our minimum charge is £150 plus lodgement fee (if applicable). However, unlike other companies our minimum charge actually applies to many of the small properties we provide EPCs for.
How long does it take?
Most (small) buildings take between one and three hours to survey. This can be longer for more complex buildings. Surveys taking more than a day are rare but can’t be ruled out for very complex buildings. Our surveyors will provide an estimate of how long the survey is likely to take so that any appointment to survey can be made appropriately.
From the day of the survey, it generally takes a few days to provide an EPC rating. In some instances, this may take longer for complex buildings or where additional research is required.
We aim to provide the best service for our clients. All EPCs are not the same. The EPC rating is based on what the surveyor observes during the survey and any additional information they discover through research. We are efficient, but we do not rush, and we certainly don’t make promises we may not be able to keep about how quickly we can provide an EPC.
What affects an EPC rating?
Factors such as the age and construction of a building and whether it is detached or not will affect the EPC rating, along with its use and the use of the various rooms and zones within it. The dimensions, along with the fabric of the building (walls, floors and roofs), will also affect the rating, along with the glazing and the door constructions. The surveyor will also include the heating and cooling systems, hot water provision and ventilation, along with the lighting present in each area as part of the assessment.
Aren’t all EPC assessments the same?
In theory, every surveyor should produce the same rating for the same building. In practice, this is rarely the case. The surveyor must base the assessment on evidence only. Where there is no information or the information cannot be evidenced, the surveyor will use default values, which are usually worst-case scenarios. It is inevitable that EPC ratings will depend on what evidence is available and how methodical the surveyor is with regard to research and obtaining evidence to produce better ratings.
Can I do anything to help the surveyor or influence the rating?
The surveyor will generally require access to all parts of the building, they will need to know in advance if there are any parts that are not accessible. They will need to know your health and safety policies and details about any hazardous materials or processes they may come across. It will help if you fill out our “Pre-Inspection Questionnaire". The questionnaire is a simple online form and should take less than 5 minutes to complete.
To achieve the best possible rating, the surveyor will need as much information as possible. Gathering all the relevant information from a survey alone is not always possible. Further information can be obtained by research and from documents supplied by the owner/occupier. Additional information can be supplied to the surveyor using our "Additional Details” form. This form is likely to take a little longer than the basic questionnaire but is worth completing for better EPC ratings.
What if my building gets a poor rating?
Current regulations make it an offence to let a building with an EPC rating below an E. Government proposals are to reduce the minimum standard incrementally to a B by 2030. If your property doesn’t meet minimum standards, you may need to improve it before you can let it. There are various exemptions that apply to the prohibition on letting property. If your property meets the criteria for any of the exemptions, you will be able to let it once you have registered the exemption.
As of April 2023, if you let or continue to let a property that doesn’t meet minimum standards or isn’t registered on the exemption register, you could be fined a minimum of £5,000 and a maximum of £150,000 for persistent offences.