Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
What's happening
The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 mean that, from April 2018, landlords must ensure that properties they rent in England and Wales reach at least an Energy Performance Certificate(EPC) rating of E before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants.
What is an EPC
An EPC for a domestic building gives the property an energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and is valid for ten years. The EPC relates to the property rather than to the owner, therefore an EPC obtained by a previous owner of the property will remain valid even after a property is sold on, so long as it is less than ten years old.
An EPC contains:
- information about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs
- recommendations about how to reduce energy use and save money
EPC Register
Where a property already has a valid EPC, this EPC can be retrieved from the Domestic Energy Performance Certificate Register https://www.epcregister.com/
Compliance and Enforcement
Every Local Authority is the “enforcement authority” for their area, and will be responsible for enforcing compliance with the minimum level of energy efficiency provisions within their geographic boundaries. Local Authority may impose a financial penalty of up to £5,000 per property, and per breach of the Regulation.
Exemptions
Where a landlord believes that an F or G EPC rated rented property qualifies for an exemption from the minimum energy efficiency standard, an exemption must be registered on the National PRS Exemptions Register.
Please visit the Government Private Rented Property minimum standard – landlord guidance documents https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-private-rented-property-minimum-standard-landlord-guidance-documents
Please note it is the landlords responsibility to comply with local and national tenancy/property legislation and at this time there are no changes to BM Solutions criteria or process