Is your EPC up to date? Avoid costly fines and be legally compliant.

Its over 10 years since the EPC became compulsory

Wow, where has that decade gone! Over that time millions and millions of homes and businesses have been surveyed and their energy performance been made public for all to see.

But an EPC is only valid for 10 years so for many people the time has come to start thinking about getting your EPCs renewed. Bearing this in mind, over the next 18 months millions of buildings are going to require a ‘new’ EPC carried out.

It is also worth drawing attention to the change in legislation which started on the 1st April 2018. From that date there is now a requirement for any properties rented out in the private sector to have a minimum energy rating of ‘E’ on the Energy Performance Certificate. The regulations came into force for new lets and renewals of tenancies after 1st April 2018 and for all existing tenancies on 1st April 2020. It will be unlawful to rent a property which breaches the requirement for a minimum E rating, unless there is an applicable exemption. If there is a breach in this legislation then the landlord could have to pay a substantial fine.

The main issue is that if the EPC rating is either F or G from this date, the property will be considered substandard and the legislation prohibits a landlord from letting out a substandard property. If the property falls below the required category then the EPC will show the most cost effective methods available to bring the property up to the required standard and then once the works are completed a re-visit will be required to produce a new certificate.