The use of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for selling a home

You have to have at least applied for an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) before you put your home on the market. With this in mind, just make sure it doesn't become a complicated and needlessly expensive task. This can be easier said than done though in so many cases. An EPC is a standardised document which ranks properties in terms of energy efficiency, and which home sellers have to provide to potential buyers. 

They offer and contain in themselves information about the property’s energy use and costs as well as recommendations about how to make it more efficient and cheaper to run. There will be hard data there so the new buyer of the property will know first hand as to how efficient they new property they plan to buy is. Properties are ranked from A to G, A being the most energy efficient. The grade is there to make it easier to understand as to how energy efficient the property is. In Scotland this is different. Sellers in Scotland have to provide a more extensive “home report”, which includes an EPC, as well as a survey and a property questionnaire. 

EPCs are not required for listed buildings. This is because improvements such as installing double-glazing are often prohibited on these types of buildings because they require structural changes. This is mainly only a requirement on properties aged from new to old, but as mentioned, not listed. EPCs were introduced in 2007 and they are valid for ten years so for sure do bear in mind how long you have owned the property and look at how old to certificate is. For any property bought before 2007, for sure you will need to get an EPC. In England and Wales, the price of an EPC can be as low as £24 and cost up to £120 for a larger sized property. Make sure you do look around however to shop for the lowest priced EPC.

If you leave it to your estate agent to arrange an EPC, keep in mind that they will probably charge commission. But prices may be negotiable so don’t be afraid to haggle. Remember, an estate agent will try and add this on as part of the property sale process. If this will save stress then go for it, though otherwise choose to carry out this by yourself. Do so and you will be able to save money and shop around a bit more also.