Can You Do an EPC Audit Yourself?

What is an EPC?

The energy efficiency rating of new household appliances has been graded from A (very efficient) to G (very inefficient) since 2021. The process of obtaining an Energy Performance Certificate for your home or other property is very similar. It informs you:

• How energy-efficient your house is
• The numbers you’ll need in order to figure out how much it will cost to light and heat it
• Your likely CO2 emissions
• The energy rating your property could reach with certain improvements
• The improvements that are the most cost-effective

EPCs provide valuable information that enables you or potential buyers to make changes to prevent energy loss, lower your carbon footprint, and save money. They are valid for ten years from the date of issue and based upon the typical household living in that property.

It’s important to note that they’re not tailored to you specifically. For example, if you’re a couple buying a house with 3 bedrooms, it will be more energy efficient than a family of more in the same building.

Why Are They Important?

If your property is being constructed, available for purchase, or rent, an EPC is required.

As soon as your building goes on the market, an EPC must be available to view so that renters and buyers can make well-informed choices. For example, for anyone looking to renovate or restore a property, it shows them what improvements they could make, how much it will cost, and how much they will save.

If you’ve made changes, it’s worth getting an updated EPC to reflect these and any change in rating.

Is an EPC Required by Law? 

When leasing or selling a property, an EPC is required by law and must be current. Energy performance certificates last ten years and need updating when they run out. Since it became legally binding in 2008, you’re required to review and update it even if you have owned the property for longer than that.

Some types of building are exempt. One is not required for non-residential agricultural buildings, industrial sites, churches and other places of worship, or workshops. These properties have to be registered on the national register, which is only valid for 5 years.

It became illegal to rent or sell a property with an EPC rating of F or G in 2020. In fact, in 2025 all rental properties will require an EPC rating of C or higher. This will apply to any and all tenancies in 2028. The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required to be displayed in every home in Scotland, but it’s not currently mandatory in England and Wales.

Who Bears Responsibility? 

In the case of rental properties, the landlord is responsible for the EPC. In property transactions, the seller is and when a property is being built, those constructing it are.

You can be fined without a valid EPC, as stated on the UK Government’s website.

Who Can Perform an EPC Audit? 

An accredited EPC assessor is required to carry out an EPC. If you need an EPC certificate, you will need to make arrangements for one.

How Can You Obtain a Certificate? 

There’s an official register maintained by the government where you can look for an assessor for your property, business, or home. Alternatively, save time by visiting our domestic EPC and commercial EPC pages.

Are They Costly? 

The price of an EPC in the UK can range from £60 to £120, although there is no fixed cost. Use our intuitive EPC quote tool to get an estimate for your property.

Does an EPC Survey Take Long? 

It takes between 30 and 40 minutes to complete an EPC for a residential property and around 45 minutes for a commercial building.

Explore Our EPC Services

At Nexus Energy, we take great pride in providing you with friendly and knowledgeable EPC assessors at a fair price.

We will collect a variety of figures, photographs, and dimensions while visiting your property. This information will then be fed into government-approved software to provide you with the most reliable EPC and recommendations.

We guarantee qualified assessors, high standards, and procedures that have been government-approved. Get in touch with us today to schedule an EPC survey.