The price from three sources, how to look a certificate up for free, and the rating the law asks for when you let, each rule with a link to the regulation itself. Sources opened by me on 20 September 2026; no assessor behind this page and no lead selling.
An Energy Performance Certificate costs £65 to £120 according to Checkatrade and £60 to £120 according to the HomeOwners Alliance; one assessment firm I checked starts at £75 plus VAT. GOV.UK names no price, only that it varies by assessor and the size of the property.
The visit takes 30 minutes to 1 hour, and the certificate is valid for 10 years. You need one when you sell, let or build, and no particular rating to sell.
To let in England and Wales the property needs band E or better, unless an exemption applies. In January 2026 the government decided to raise that to the equivalent of band C on 1 October 2030; that decision is not yet law.
GOV.UK publishes no price: the cost of an assessment varies by assessor and the size of the property. The two guides do not say whether VAT is included.
The Energy Saving Trust quotes a price too, but says itself that the figure comes from Checkatrade, so I do not count it as a separate measurement. Only an accredited assessor can produce a valid certificate; GOV.UK has the search for one and tells you to check that they are part of an accredited scheme.
A certificate is valid for 10 years, so the house you own or are about to buy may already have one. Use Find an energy certificate on GOV.UK for England, Wales and Northern Ireland: search by postcode, street name and town, or certificate number, and download it for free. Scotland has its own service.
Buying a house to do up? An EPC contains steps to improve the property, which makes it a free first list of work; buying a house to renovate shows how to price the rest.
On 21 January 2026 the government published its response for England and Wales: a single compliance date of 1 October 2030 for a standard equivalent to band C, a cost cap raised to £10,000, and exemptions valid for 10 years. A band C certificate you already hold keeps counting until it expires.
The stated aim was to have the regulations in force in 2027; until they are, band E is the law. GOV.UK marks the page as published under the 2024 to 2026 government, and a later government can change course, so check the source below before you plan around the date.
The certificate itself lists the steps that would raise the rating. What insulation costs has the price per measure, heat pump or boiler the heating side, and the grants page what is still open, including the schemes that ask for a band D to G certificate before they pay.
10 years. GOV.UK: an EPC gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A (best) to G (worst) and is valid for 10 years. The HomeOwners Alliance adds that a new one can be worth it sooner if you have made improvements that should lift the rating.
With the find an energy certificate service on GOV.UK, for any property in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. You search by postcode, by street name and town, or by certificate number, and you can download the certificate for free. Scotland has a different service.
Band E in England and Wales. Regulation 23 of the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) Regulations 2015 says a landlord of a sub-standard property must not let it unless an exemption applies, and regulation 22 sets the minimum at band E. You are not currently required to spend more than £3,500 including VAT to get there; if that is not enough, you make the improvements that fit and register an exemption.
None in particular. To sell you must have an EPC and order it before you market the property; the GOV.UK guide for sellers names no minimum rating. The band E rule is for letting.
The visit itself: 30 minutes to 1 hour for smaller properties (Checkatrade), 45 minutes to an hour (HomeOwners Alliance), 30 minutes to 1 hour for a standard home (Falcon Energy, an assessment firm). Afterwards the assessor gives you a digital copy of the certificate (GOV.UK).
On 21 January 2026 the government published its decision for England and Wales: a single compliance date of 1 October 2030 for a new standard equivalent to band C, a cost cap of £10,000, and exemptions valid for 10 years. A property that already has a band C certificate counts as compliant until that certificate expires. It is a decision, not yet law: the stated aim was to have the regulations in force in 2027. GOV.UK marks the page as published under the 2024 to 2026 government, so check it before you rely on the date.
Yes when you sell, let or build. GOV.UK lists what is exempt, among them temporary buildings used for less than 2 years, stand-alone buildings of less than 50 square metres, and holiday accommodation let for less than 4 months a year. Without one when you need it, the penalty for a dwelling is £200.