Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

What is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?

  
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is intended to tell you and potential buyers how energy efficient a house is as well as make recommendations on how to improve the properties energy performance.

An EPC is legally required for selling a residential property in England and Wales.

 

The Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations in 2010 introduced a number of new obligations relating to the requirement of an EPC including: a new duty on the seller/landlord to secure that an energy performance certificate (EPC) has been commissioned before the marketing of a property commences.

  

 

In brief:

An EPC has been commissioned when a Domestic Energy Assessor has been instructed to prepare the EPC and the EPC has either been paid for or has given a clear undertaking to pay for it.

 

There is a duty on the person acting on behalf of the seller/landlord to be satisfied that an EPC has been commissioned before commencing marketing.

 

There is also duty on both the seller/landlord and a person acting on their behalf to make reasonable efforts to secure an EPC within seven days.

 

All of the new duties hold fixed penalties where somebody fails in the duty conferred on them by the new regulations.

 

If you are intending to sell or let your property through Harris and Company and require an EPC, we can arrange this for you. Further details are available upon request.

  

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

For more information on EPCs, we have provided a simple set of frequently asked questions:

 

 

What does it mean when an EPC has been "commissioned"?

 

This means that a seller/landlord or a person acting on their behalf, i.e. an estate agent, must have instructed an accredited Energy Assessor to carry out an energy performance assessment.

 

 

Who or what is an Energy Assessor?

This is someone who is accredited (regulated) to provide energy assessments on buildings.

 

 

What is the penalty for not providing an EPC; who will enforce it?

 

There is a fixed penalty of £200. Enforcement of these requirements is the responsibility of Trading Standards Officers.

There are also penalties for not complying with the duty to commission an EPC before putting the property on the market.

 

 

How long is an EPC valid for?

 

All EPCs will be valid for 10 years.

 

 

Who will be responsible for providing the EPC?

 

The duty to provide an EPC falls on either the seller, in the case of a building being sold, or the landlord, in the case of a building being rented. In the case of new buildings the duty to provide an EPC falls on the builder.

 

 

Where is the legislation on EPCs contained?

 

The legislation is contained in the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2007 (as amended by the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2010).

 

 

What about the requirement to include energy information in written particulars?

 

Agents will also have to include energy information in written particulars. They must do so as soon as the energy information becomes available.

 

  

Is there a time limit on this?

 

The seller or landlord and estate agent must use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the EPC is available at the time of instruction, if one is not already in place.