Energy performance certificate

In Scotland From December 1, 2008, houses for sale have had to be marketed with a Home Report. The home pack includes an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

Scotland has been slightly ahead of the UK generally in introducing energy certificates.

Landlords in England and Wales are now obliged to give all new tenants a certificate showing the energy efficiency of their rented property. The property must be surveyed and given an Energy Performance Certificate  stating their efficiency on a scale from A to G so that prospective tenants have an idea of their future fuel bills.

The certificate will indicate the current average costs of heating and lighting the property.

A report must be provided free of charge to tenants by landlords at the following points-

• When a viewing is conducted
• When written information about the building is provided in response to a request for information from a prospective client.
• If neither of these occurs, before the landlord enters into a contract to let their property

An EPC does not have to be made available if:

• The landlord believes the prospective tenant is unlikely to have sufficient funds to rent the property
• The landlord does not believe the prospective tenant is genuinely interested in renting that type of property
• The landlord is unlikely to be prepared to rent out the property to the prospective or tenant (although this does not authorize unlawful discrimination)

An EPC is valid for 10 years and must be produced by an accredited energy assessor. You can see an example of an EPC for a fairly well rated flat here and one for a more average one here