Energy assessments, EPCs and retrofit plans

An EPC rates a property's energy efficiency from A, the best, to G, the worst, estimates typical energy costs and lists recommended improvements. You must have one when selling, renting out or building a property, and you must order it before you market the property. An EPC is valid for 10 years. You can be fined if you do not get one when you need it.

The assessment is carried out by an accredited domestic energy assessor, who visits the property and records its construction, insulation, glazing, heating and hot water. You can find an accredited assessor through the government's service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland has a separate process, and there the EPC must be displayed in the property, for example in the meter cupboard or next to the boiler.

Before booking, check whether the property already has a valid EPC on the government's register; you can download it free. If you are unhappy with an assessment, complain to the assessor first and then to their accreditation scheme, whose details are on the certificate.

Source: gov.uk

In England and Wales, most privately rented homes that need an EPC must be rated at least E. Since 1 April 2020 landlords cannot let or continue to let a property rated F or G unless they have registered a valid exemption. There is a cost cap on what a landlord must spend, and the EPC's recommendations are the starting point for choosing measures.

The government has said it aims for as many privately rented homes as possible to reach band C or equivalent by 2030 and is working on the policy design after a 2026 consultation. Nothing is final yet, but landlords planning work now can use an assessment to find measures that would count towards a higher band.

Source: gov.uk

An EPC is a snapshot based on standard assumptions. It is not a design for a renovation. For a whole-house retrofit, the British standard PAS 2035 sets out a process with defined roles: a retrofit assessor surveys the home, its condition, ventilation and occupants; a retrofit coordinator assesses the risks and draws up a medium-term improvement plan; and installers carry out the measures in a sensible order.

Funded schemes such as ECO4 rely on this approach, with TrustMark overseeing technical and consumer protection standards. You can use the same method privately, even if you are paying for everything yourself. It is most valuable in older solid-walled houses, where insulation in the wrong place or without ventilation can cause damp.

A good retrofit plan answers practical questions: whether to insulate before replacing the boiler, what size a future heat pump would need to be once the walls and loft are done, which rooms need better ventilation and which works need Building Regulations approval or planning permission.

Source: knowledge.bsigroup.com

Grant schemes often start from the EPC. The Warm Homes: Local Grant in England is for homes rated D to G, and Home Energy Scotland needs a valid EPC that recommends an insulation measure before it will fund it. An assessor can tell you whether your current EPC is out of date or inaccurate, for example if it still shows single glazing or an old boiler that has been replaced.

Be wary of anyone who charges to 'guarantee' a grant. Eligibility is decided by the scheme, the council or the energy supplier, not by the assessor.

Some assessors and retrofit coordinators also oversee the building work: checking that measures are installed as designed, that ventilation is not blocked, that the right certificates are issued, and that the home is re-assessed at the end. On larger projects that independent check can prevent expensive mistakes, but agree in writing what it covers and whether the coordinator has any link to the installers.

• which accreditation scheme they belong to and, for retrofit work, which PAS 2035 roles they are qualified for
• whether you need an EPC, a retrofit assessment or both
• what the visit involves and how long it takes
• what you receive: the certificate, a written report, a medium-term improvement plan
• whether a post-works assessment is included
• any business relationship with installers they might recommend

Source: knowledge.bsigroup.com

Say why you need the assessment, whether for selling, letting, a planned renovation or a grant, and give a few details about the property. Once your phone number and email address are confirmed, we offer the request without your personal details to energy assessors in your area. A single business can buy it, paying Offrano, and the request is then withdrawn from sale; it costs you nothing.

We email you the assessor's name, address and phone number before they see your details, and you can withdraw your consent from any of our emails. We cannot promise that an assessor takes the request; unsold requests lapse after 21 days, and you may book someone else at any time. We check only that buyers are registered businesses, so check the assessor's accreditation yourself.