Energy efficiency

Energy Performance Certificates

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) provide an indication of how energy efficient a building is and provide advice on how the energy efficiency of the building can be improved. Buildings are rated from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). Information is also provided on measures which could be made to improve the energy efficiency and an indication of the cost for each improvement. In addition to information provided on the EPC, more detailed information and advice is contained within the Recommendation Report which is provided with the EPC. Up-to-date EPCs allow you to easily compare the energy efficiency of different properties.

Building owners are legally required to provide an EPC on construction, sale or rental of a building to a new tenant. They are valid for 10 years from the date of issue. EPCs must be obtained from an approved domestic energy assessor.

Background

EPCs were first introduced in the The Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008. These regulations set out when and what type of EPCs are required.

There are two types of EPC – one used for dwellings (domestic homes) and the other for all other building types (non-domestic). The format of the EPCs and method of calculation is different for dwellings and non-dwellings.

EPCs for domestic properties include two ratings: an Energy Efficiency Rating and an Environmental Impact Rating. The former is an energy cost rating based on energy demand. The latter is based on carbon emissions. The Energy Efficiency Rating is the primary rating in use, is relatively well known, included in adverts for property and is the basis of our energy efficiency standards.

How the EPC rating is calculated

The EPC assessment will record specific information such as the size and layout of the building, how it has been constructed and the way it is insulated, heated, ventilated, and lighted. The EPC rating is for the property itself, not the way it is used. Because people use buildings in different ways, the calculation is based on standard assumptions about occupancy and use.

The EPC is produced using a UK Government calculation methodology. Further technical information on the calculation methodologies can be found on the Building Research Establishment website:

• Standard Assessment Procedure for dwellings (SAP 2012)
• National calculation method (NCM) for non-domestic buildings

EPC reform

Following advice from the Climate Change Committee, our Heat in buildings strategy sets out plans to reform domestic EPCs. This includes changing the headline metric to one that is more appropriate for decarbonisation of energy in Scotland.

In summer 2021, we consulted on a new domestic EPC metric based on the dwelling’s energy use. We are are considering the feedback and will confirm our plans for domestic EPC reform in 2022 alongside the wider consultation on Regulations for Energy Efficiency Standards.

Scottish EPC register

The Scottish EPC Register can be used to search for individual assessors, or to search for an existing EPC using the unique EPC reference number (if known) or the postcode of the building.

Approved assessor organisations

The following organisations have been approved to deliver certification services: