All you need to know about EPC's

An EPC shows the efficiency and environmental impact of your property. It is rated on a scale, showing the current rating and the potential rating.

Yes. From 1st October 2008, all buildings, whether residential, commercial or industrial, will be required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) that is no more than 10 years old, for every occasion when they are bought, sold, or rented.

Landlords and agents need to have an EPC within seven days or marketing a property or risk getting a penalty from Trading Standards.

If you have a lodger, an EPC is not required.

From April 2018, a property that is found to have a rating of F or G will be unable to be rented out to tenants. A landlord will have to make improvements to the property’s energy performance and the property will have to undergo a satisfactory reassessment before the property can be placed on the rentals market.

From 1st April 2020 the Minimum Energy Efficiency requirement will apply to continuing tenancies. The property must therefore be brought up to the minimum E rating before 1st April 2020 to comply with the Regulations, unless an exemption is available and is claimed by being registered in the Public

The report will come with some recommendations on how the rating can be improved.

As a rough guide, the general improvements listed below can make a big difference: Improved insulation Installation of low-energy light bulbs Installation of double glazing For further guidance, visit energysavingtrust.org.uk.
If your property has a rating of an F or G and no improvements can be made due the property being a listed building or the improvements won’t make a change to the rating, you will still need to apply for an exemption certificate from the Public Exemptions Register

An exemption can be granted from 6 months to 5 years

By carrying out the recommendations, this will save you money on the running costs of your property – including energy bills.

To secure a booking, call 0161 834 8486

£90 INC VAT

An EPC will need be renewed every 10 years. In addition, if your property is rated F or G and you wish to rent it out, a retest will have to be carried out and a rating of A-E achieved before the property can be placed on the rentals market.

A civil penalty of up to £4,000 could be imposed for not having an EPC.

In addition, from April 2018, you can be fined for renting out a property rated F or G.

Finally, from April 2020, a landlord can be fined for keeping tenants in a property rated F or G, regardless of when the tenancy started. From that date, EPCs will have to be rated A-E for all rental properties, not just for new tenancies.

Even if you are fined you will still need to obtain an EPC

These include:
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 metres 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.