Changes to EPCs: what you need to know 20 Oct 2020
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) now host a combined England, Wales & Northern Ireland EPC register on a .gov website and this change has been in place since the 20th September, providing much simpler access to EPCs.
With the movement to a new register, there are also some other changes you need to be aware of.
The new EPC register
- You can find all EPCs (Energy Performance Certificates), DECs (Display Energy Certificates), and ACIRs (Air Conditioning Inspections) all in the same place, making finding information much easier.
- The new EPC register can be found here.
- All EPCs, DECs, and ACIRs are now no longer in PDF format, they can be downloaded directly from the web page instead.
- The certificates themselves look a little different
- All previously lodged EPCs were migrated to the new register prior to launch
What are EPCs?
Valid for 10 years from when they’re issued, EPCs or Energy Performance Certificates, provide information on the energy efficiency of a building via a rating from A to G. A being very efficient, and G being inefficient.
Their purpose is to give the people who will be using the building information on how much it will cost to heat and light, as well as an estimate as to what its CO2 emissions are likely to be.
EPCs also include what the energy efficiency rating could be if the recommendations for improvements were carried out, as well as giving cost-effective suggestions on how to improve the overall ratings.
All domestic and commercial buildings in the UK available for sale or to let have to have an EPC. But it can also be useful if you own your own home and aren’t thinking of selling to get an energy performance survey carried out, in order to highlight some ways to save money on your energy bills and keep nice and warm in the colder months.
