Energy Performance Certificates: guide

Requirements

The Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008 set out the regulations relating to EPCs.  

An EPC must be produced: 

• when a new building has been constructed (at the completion stage of the building warrant process) 

• when a building is to be sold 

• when a building is to be let to a new tenant 

These requirements apply to both homes (domestic buildings) and non-domestic buildings. 

Any commercial sales or letting advert for a building must include the EPC rating, or 'energy performance indicator'. This must also be provided to anyone who enquires about buying or leasing the building. For a home or domestic building, this is the Energy Efficiency Rating. For a non-domestic building, this is the Energy Performance Rating. 

An EPC should be included in the Home Report when selling a property, and the EPC ratings should be included in the estate agent advert when the property is advertised. Read more at: Home Reports 

An EPC must also be obtained and displayed in a building over 250 m² in area which is occupied by a public authority and frequently visited by the public. Read more in the requirements section. 

An EPC is valid for 10 years and does not need to be updated during this time. If improvements have been made, the building owner may choose to update the EPC voluntarily, particularly if the building is to be sold or re-let. 

Other government policies or schemes may also use EPCs for other purposes, and these may have different requirements. 

The EPC Register

All EPCs are held on the Scottish EPC Register, where they can be searched for using a postcode or RRN. EPCs cannot be removed from the register, and must be kept there for 10 years. No personal information is held on the register, other than the assessor's name and contact details. The assessor pays the register lodgement fee when an EPC is produced. 

Penalties

Building owners who fail to provide an EPC, or do not include the rating when advertising a building, could be issued with a penalty charge notice by the local authority. The minimum penalty is £500 for domestic properties and £1,000 for non-domestic properties.