How to read an EPC
An Energy Performance Certificate rates a home from A, the most energy efficient, to G, the least. Read the current rating alongside the potential rating and the recommended improvements. Potential performance depends on carrying out the listed work; it is not the home’s present rating.
Check the address and certificate date
A certificate is normally valid for 10 years. Match the full address, including the flat number, and check the expiry date on the official register. These results show recorded ratings from the November 2026 data snapshot; a missing rating means unknown here. A newer certificate or a home with no recorded sale may be available on the official register.
Compare the recommendations with the home
Use the certificate’s walls, roof, windows and heating descriptions to ask what has changed since the assessment. Confirm the practicality and price of insulation or heating work with a qualified installer. An EPC is an energy assessment, not a structural survey. Its estimated energy costs do not tell you what a particular household will spend.
Official services and sources
- Official EPC register: England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- GOV.UK: EPC ratings and validity
- ONS: understanding EPC data
This site covers recorded homes in England and Wales. For Scotland use SEPA · Scottish EPC register. For Northern Ireland use NI flood maps · NI energy certificates.