Energy Performance Certificates: guide

About Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)

An EPC provides information about how energy efficient a building is, and how the efficiency could be improved. Buildings are rated on a scale from A to G, with A being the most efficient. 

The EPC also provides: 

• information on measures which could be made to improve the energy efficiency of the building 

• an indicative cost for each improvement 

The EPC is accompanied by a recommendations report which provides more detailed information about improvement measures. 

The EPC assessment reflects the energy performance of the building itself, not the way it is used by its occupants. This means that standard assumptions are made about occupancy and use, so that different buildings can be fairly compared. The EPC does not contain personal information, other than the name and contact details of the assessor who carried it out. 

For non-domestic buildings, the EPC shows an asset rating, alongside an indication of energy performance based on primary energy use. 

EPCs are changing

EPCs in Scotland are being reformed. When the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2025 come into force: 

• new-style certificates will be introduced 

• domestic EPCs will show ratings for heat retention, heating system and an energy cost 

• non-domestic EPCs will show ratings for energy performance, energy use, and direct emissions 

• certificates will be valid for 5 years, rather than 10 

• quality assurance will be strengthened through a new accreditation scheme 

More detail on how each of these ratings is calculated can be found in the Scottish Government's 2025 EPC Reform consultation response. 

We will update this guide with further information on the transition to the new-style EPC as it becomes available. 

EPC reform

We consulted on EPC reform in 2023 and 2025, which included proposals to: 

• ensure that EPCs remain a key source of information about a building's energy efficiency for current and prospective owners and tenants 

• expand the metrics shown on EPCs to give a more complete picture of a building's energy efficiency, including a rating that reflects the energy efficiency of the building fabric 

• rename the existing metrics so that their meaning is clearer 

• review audit and assurance arrangements to ensure that EPCs provide robust and reliable information 

• amend statutory lodgement fees and penalty charges  

Our responses to these consultations can be found at: Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2025 - EPC reform consultations: SG response - update.