Energy Performance Certificates

EPCs show the energy performance rating of buildings. The idea is similar to the well-established energy labels for the sale of white goods such as fridges and washing machines.

Two types of energy certificate are required in different circumstances:

• Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for all buildings when they are constructed or marketed for sale or rent; and
• Display Energy Certificates (DECs) for large, public buildings occupied by public authorities or institutions providing a public service to a large number of persons and therefore frequently visited by those persons.

To download the Department's guidance on EPCs or to view a sample certificate visit the EPB Publications page.

What is an EPC and when must I get one?

EPCs are required whenever a building is constructed or marketed for sale or rent.

The EPC records the energy efficiency of a property, providing a rating of the energy efficiency and carbon emissions of a building on a scale from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is very inefficient.

EPCs are produced using standard methods with standard assumptions about energy usage so that the energy efficiency of one building can easily be compared with another building of the same type. This allows prospective buyers, tenants, owners, and occupiers to see and compare information on the energy efficiency and carbon emissions from a building, so they can consider energy efficiency and fuel costs as part of their investment decision.

An EPC should always be accompanied by a recommendation report listing cost effective and other measures (such as low and zero carbon generating systems) to improve the energy rating of the building. The EPC also contains information about the rating that could be achieved if all the recommendations were implemented.

What an EPC for a home contains

For homes, two ratings are shown, the current rating and the potential rating. The actual energy-efficiency rating is a measure of a home's overall efficiency. The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the home is, the lower the associated carbon emissions are and the lower fuel bills are likely to be.

The energy efficiency rating is based on the performance of the building itself and its services (such as heating and lighting), rather than the domestic appliances within it. The certificate also lists the potential rating indicating what can be achieved if all the cost-effective measures were installed.

Ratings will vary according to the age, location, size and condition of the building. The potential rating on the certificate will take these factors into account, and the suggested measures will be tailored so that they are realistic for the particular building.

Also shown on the EPC is a benchmark rating for an average home in Northern Ireland, again for comparison purposes.

How to get an EPC

As a seller or landlord it is your responsibility to ensure your property has an EPC. You can commission an EPC yourself or it may be commissioned on your behalf by an agent such as an Estate Agent. EPCs can only be produced by an accredited energy assessor. Energy assessors may be self employed or employees of service organisations such as Estate Agents, Conveyancers or energy companies.

You may search for an accredited energy assessor or check your assessor's accreditation details by visiting www.niepcregister.com

Once you (or your agent) have commissioned an EPC, your energy assessor will receive basic details from you and will then arrange to come and visit your property to do the assessment.

During the assessment the energy assessor will be collecting information about your property, how and when it was constructed, the type of property (e.g. house, bungalow, mid-terraced, detached etc.), number of habitable rooms , dimensions of the building, the number of floors, amount and type of glazing (i.e. single or double glazing), heating systems and fuel used, etc.

This information will be fed into an approved software programme using a Government approved standard energy assessment method to calculate the rating of the building.

The software produces the EPC and the recommendation report for the property.

The energy assessor will lodge the EPC onto the Northern Ireland register, which is available at www.niepcregister.com and then provide you with a copy. You may download further copies, however to do so you require the unique 20 digit reference number assigned to your certificate. It is important that you retain this number for future online access to your EPC.