A residential Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is valid for a period of 10 years, should you wish to use it to sell or rent your property. An EPC report since their birth back in 2008 are not only used for property transactions for other things such as claiming the feed-in tariff (FiT) for solar PV systems or claiming a subsidy on a new biomass boiler via the RHI.
An EPC is meant to be a representative score on the energy efficiency performance of a domestic property. The higher thef score, the more energy efficient it is, with the average in the UK being 60/100, which puts in Band D on the energy efficiency scale (A to G). EPC reports since 2008, have had periodic changes in how they are calculated, with big changes going through in 2012 and in 2014, so even if you didn’t do anything to a property in terms of improving it, the values given by the EPC may well now be different today than when they were commissioned a few years ago.
Why is the age of the EPC important?
The process of deriving the EPC score has also improved over time, with assessors now required to spend more time in the property and take extra diligence in deriving their finished output. Also, the customers have got more knowledgeable about the process of an EPC being produced and don’t generally stand for descriptive discrepancies on their final reports, whereas in the past certain assessors produced shoddy pieces of work.
To claim the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) voucher from the Government to essentially get money off energy efficiency improvements like wall insulation, boilers and glazing improvements, the EPC needs to be at least 2 years old.
For Green Deal Finance or ECO subsidy claims many suppliers in the market are asking customers to have EPCs that may not be more than 6 months old. For ECO in most cases you won’t need to do anything as the company providing the funding for loft insulation, cavity wall insulation or a new boiler should provide this for free as part of the funded service.
You may think having to constantly have a new EPC is a bit excessive on the Government’s part and is probably a way round the 10 year rule indirectly (asking consumers to have a new one created); in reality many of these schemes have a valid point, given that so much in the EPC framework has been updated over time. If you as a householder update your boiler, have your cavity walls filled or swap out your lighting for LED, all those changes will cause the parameters of when your initial EPC was created to materially change. With these material changes coming through it makes sense to have a more accurate EPC report.
EPC for the FiT and RHI
For a renewable technology system subsidy claim, whether it is for the FiT or the RHI you will need to have an EPC undertaken. For solar PV claims under the FiT, you should be ok on the age of the EPC as long as the rating on is shown as band D or better. For biomass boilers, heat pumps and solar thermal systems you will have to have a full Green Deal Assessment, which means that you have to provide both the EPC and the Occupancy Assessment Reports. The Green Deal Reports only really came in January 2013, which means that it is very likely that you will have a new EPC done with that service. A Green Deal Report can be created with an existing EPC, but most assessors will recommend having a brand new one created for the full assessment.
The other reason, the RHI is more stringent is that the Government doesn’t want to be paying out the subsidy without the right amounts of insulation going into the property. Obviously with all this process you will have a much more accurate and relevant EPC.
Do I need to have my EPC redone?
The answer depends on what you are doing. If you are selling a property then you may want to have a new EPC done, just so as to provide the potential buyer with the best energy performance advice; but otherwise as long as it is within the 10 year period it should be absolutely fine. Obviously if the EPC is already under 24 months old, then we would suggest you sit tight unless you have made major alterations to the property. If you have just put in a new boiler with solid wall insulation, you may want to commission a brand new one, which will give a higher score to the property.
10 years since the first EPCs
If you had your EPC done in 2007 when they were first introduced, it will now need renewing. EPCs are only valid for a maximum of 10 years.
MEES: New EPC regulations for landlords
As of April 2018, any tenancies longer than 6 months being granted or renewed will hinge on whether the property has an EPC rating of ‘E’ or higher. Landlords are liable to pay a hefty fine if they do not adhere to the regulations. Read more here.
If you require a brand new EPC is London or you are looking for a Green Deal Assessment for the RHI, then look no further than London EPC as the premier supplier for this service. Email us today: epc@london-epc.co.uk or call 0208 133 3849, prices start at only £65 +VAT.
Last summer we had the property upgraded with new double glazing and had a new hot water tank inserted into the airing cupboard. On top of that we changed the layout of the kitchen and the side garage area, which we turned into the study. Obviously the EPC that was carried out a few years ago before these changes would have assumed the property in the previous state, but do we have to do anything legal now to have the rating updated?
An assessor told me that I have an old version of the report for my property and that it is no longer valid. He said I will need a new EPC, is this true?
Hi Warren,
The validity period really depends on what you require the EPC for and what you have had done to the property. It will be 10 years for buying and letting, and 1-2 years for feed in tariff and RHI. If in doubt, a new EPC is only going to set you back around £50, but give us a call if you want to discuss.
Best,
Alan
Hi Lucine,
Whilst the EPC you had from before is no longer accurate, you will only need a new one issued when you are buying or letting, or you are applying for RHI or feed in tariff subsidies. If these things are already in place, and you aren’t planning to let or move, you don’t need a new one just yet. You might want to get one issued for your own information however.
Best,
Alan
I can’t believe it is already 10 years since we got our EPC. Time to get another one!!
Great site and thanks for the info. I’m a landlord based in Canada with several properties in the UK. Good to know all the intricacies of the UK property market!
Hi,
Is our business EPC valid for 10 years as well?
Hi Paula,
Yes domestic and commercial EPCs have the same lifespan when it comes to sales and lettings.
Best,
Alan
Thanks Alice, if you need any help in terms of energy assessments, just give our team a shout. Even though we predominately do EPC surveys in London, we actually have a network of assessors up and down the country so we should be able to help!
Hi Keiron, yes I think it is going to get pretty busy next year as the first round of EPCs expire!
Hi,
Would a commercial landlord need to get a revised EPC if the property’s energy efficiency is likely to have gone down, i.e. become less energy efficient? Would this be the case if it is as a result of the tenant’s actions during the period of its lease that it is still occupying, i.e. it has built a restaurant on the property? Or would the landlord only have to renew the EPC on the earlier of the expiry of the 10 year EPC or the termination of the tenant’s tenancy?
Thanks,
G
Hi I was wondering if you could help. We are buying a property, EPC is 8 years old but the house had an extension built with multiple new rooms? Am I entitled to ask for a new EPC certificate for this reason?
Thanks
Hi CJ, that is a great question. You don’t need to get a new EPC as the EPC is valid for 10 years from the issue date, however obviously the improvements in energy efficiency won’t be reflected on your old one. There have been suggestions that eventually the EPC rating may be linked to council tax – so a better EPC rating will have lower council tax – then at that stage it would obviously be better to have a higher rating on your EPC, but until that time a new one is not really needed.