Facts last checked 17 September 2026
The short answer
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rates your home from A (most efficient) to G using a score from 1 to 100 and above, based on modelled energy costs per square metre for a standard household, not your actual bills. Band C starts at 69; 56% of homes in England were A to C in 2024. An EPC lasts 10 years and you can look one up free on GOV.UK. It matters most if you sell or let: landlords must currently reach band E. Since 28 April 2026 you no longer need an EPC to get a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.
What do the EPC bands actually mean?
The headline is the energy efficiency rating, a number from the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), the government's method for modelling a home's energy use. The number sets the band:
| Band | SAP score | Share of homes in England, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| A | 92 or more | 4% (A and B together) |
| B | 81 to 91 | (included above) |
| C | 69 to 80 | 52%. The level used in current policy targets |
| D | 55 to 68 | 35%. The average English home scores 68 |
| E | 39 to 54 | 6%. The current minimum for most private rentals |
| F | 21 to 38 | 3% (F and G together) |
| G | 1 to 20 | (included above) |
The score is driven by estimated energy cost per square metre, so it is broadly independent of the size of your home. A big house is not penalised for being big. What moves it is insulation, draughts, the heating system and its fuel, hot water, lighting and any generation such as solar panels. The English Housing Survey found 56% of homes in England were rated A to C in 2024, up from 26% in 2014.
How does an assessor work out the rating?
New homes are assessed with full SAP, using design data. Existing homes use Reduced data SAP (RdSAP), where an accredited assessor visits and records the essentials: age of each part of the building, wall and roof type, insulation seen or evidenced, windows, heating system, controls and hot water.
Where the assessor cannot see or prove something, RdSAP fills the gap with default values for the building's age. A cavity wall recorded 'as built' in a 1930s home is assumed to lose heat at 1.5 W/m²K, while one with evidence of filling is 0.7. So if you had cavities filled or a loft insulated, keep the paperwork and show it. Missing evidence can cost you points.
What are the potential rating and the recommendations for?
Next to your current rating sits a potential rating: where the home could get to if you carried out the recommended measures. The certificate also sets out steps to improve the home's energy efficiency and save money.
- Treat them as a useful first draft of a plan, not a specification. They come from standard assumptions, not a survey of your walls or roof.
- Any costs shown are indicative, so get current prices before deciding.
- Check whether each suggestion suits the building. Solid wall insulation, for instance, needs a moisture-aware design.
The EPC explainer tool helps you read your certificate line by line, and the retrofit planner puts measures in a sensible order for your home.
Why is the EPC running cost so different from my real bills?
Because an EPC describes the building, not the people in it. That is deliberate: it lets buyers and tenants compare homes fairly. It also means the costs shown rarely match your bills.
- Standard occupancy. SAP assumes a typical number of occupants for the floor area and typical hot water and appliance use. SAP's own documentation says its occupancy is not suitable for design purposes.
- Standard heating. The model assumes set heating periods with the living room at 21°C. If you heat more, less or to a different temperature, your costs differ.
- Fixed fuel prices. The rating for existing homes under RdSAP 10 is calculated with a fixed set of fuel prices written into the methodology (the same prices as SAP 2012), not today's price cap.
- Default assumptions. Anything the assessor could not verify is filled in with age-based defaults, which may be better or worse than reality.
Your meter readings are the better guide to your own costs. The EPC is the better guide to comparing one building with another.
How do I find my EPC, and how long does it last?
- Search by postcode on GOV.UK's free 'Find an energy certificate' service. You can view and download any registered certificate.
- Check the expiry date. An EPC is valid for 10 years.
- If you are selling or letting and it has expired, arrange a new one before marketing the property, using an accredited assessor from the GOV.UK register. The cost varies by assessor and the size of the home.
You do not need a valid EPC just to live in your home. It is needed when you sell, let or build.
What do landlords need to know about EPC rules?
Under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard, a private rented home in England and Wales must be rated at least E. This has applied to new tenancies since 1 April 2018 and all relevant tenancies since 1 April 2020. If improvements costing up to £3,500 including VAT cannot reach E, you can register an exemption, which lasts five years. Councils can fine up to £5,000 per property.
| Now | From 1 October 2030 (planned) | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Band E | Band C equivalent, measured on new EPC metrics (fabric first, then heating system or smart readiness) |
| Spending cap | £3,500 | £10,000, counting spend on relevant measures since 1 October 2025 |
| Exemption length | 5 years | 10 years |
| Legal status | In force | Not yet law. Needs new powers from Parliament, then regulations aimed for 2027 |
Does my EPC affect heat pump grants?
Not any more. Under Ofgem's Boiler Upgrade Scheme guidance, for applications properly made from 28 April 2026, a valid EPC is no longer an eligibility requirement. If your home has a valid EPC, your installer must give its reference number in the application. If not, they provide other evidence, such as a recent utility bill and photos of your existing heating. The older rule that an EPC must show no outstanding loft or cavity wall insulation recommendation was removed for applications from 8 May 2024.
Insulation still matters for comfort and running costs, and Ofgem recommends discussing it with your installer. It just no longer blocks the £7,500 grant. See the Boiler Upgrade Scheme explained or run the BUS eligibility checker.
Are EPCs about to change?
Yes, but not yet. The government has confirmed that reformed domestic EPCs will show four headline metrics: energy cost, fabric performance, heating system and smart readiness, based on the new Home Energy Model. On 9 March 2026 it moved the launch to the second half of 2027. Existing EPCs keep their full 10-year validity, and the current rating will be kept for a period so old and new certificates can be compared.
Common questions
Is band D bad?
Not unusual. The average English home scores 68, and 35% of homes were band D in 2024. It usually means there are worthwhile improvements available, often loft, wall or heating upgrades.
Can I get my EPC rating changed if it looks wrong?
Ask the assessor to review it, with evidence such as insulation guarantees or installation paperwork, because RdSAP uses cautious defaults for anything it cannot verify. You can also commission a new assessment from another accredited assessor.
Will a heat pump improve my EPC?
Usually it changes the score, because the heating system and its fuel are major inputs, but by how much depends on the rest of the building. An assessor can model the change before you commit.
Do I need an EPC to sell my house?
Yes. You need a valid EPC for a sale or letting, and GOV.UK says to get it before you market the property.
Do I need an EPC for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
No, for applications properly made from 28 April 2026. If one exists, your installer includes its reference number.