What EPC Rating Do You Need to Sell a Property?

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a property, you might find yourself concerned about how energy efficient the property is. This is where EPC ratings come in. EPC ratings make it easy for buyers, sellers, and renters to know how energy efficient a property is, before they commit. But is there a minimum EPC rating?

So what EPC rating do you need to sell a property? There is no minimum EPC rating when selling a property, however, an EPC certificate is required for the transaction to be completed. If you intend to rent a property, the minimum EPC rating is E. 

Read on to learn more about EPC ratings when selling and renting out properties.

Can You Sell a Property With a Low EPC Rating?

You can legally sell a property with a low EPC rating, however, you must provide the EPC certificate when selling the property. Because of this, you may struggle to sell a property with a low EPC rating. In fact, studies have shown that a good EPC rating can improve the value of a home by up to 14%.

However, if you are selling the property as a buy-to-let property, be aware that it will not be able to be rented out if the EPC rating is below an E rating. From 2025, this will change to a C rating.

Do You Need a Valid EPC To Sell a House?

Before buying or renting out a property, you must order an EPC rating assessment. As the property owner, it is your legal responsibility to ensure that the property has a valid, up-to-date EPC rating that must be presentable to potential buyers or tenants.

This tells prospective buyers how energy efficient your property is, meaning that they don’t buy blind. It would be unethical, at best, to allow someone to purchase a property not knowing how good, or bad, its energy performance is. Similarly, with tenants, it would be unfair to sign them up to a predetermined period and not know what they’re getting into with energy performance and bill prices.

If you don’t have a valid EPC certificate, visit the Gov.UK website and follow their instructions, before you begin the process of selling. Alternatively, get in touch with Valor Property Maintenance for EICR, GAS, and EPC Certificates across Bradford & Leeds.

What Affects EPC Ratings?

EPC is calculated based on a variety of factors that have an impact on the energy performance of your property. These factors include:

Age of the Property

Generally, newer properties will be more energy efficient due to improving building standards, energy conservation, and consumer demands for more energy efficient properties. Older properties may have been built to different standards, or may have degraded over time. In which case, steps may need to be taken to improve the EPC rating prior to selling.

Wall Construction

Older properties (built before 1950) tend to have a solid wall construction with no wall cavity. These types of properties are less efficient at keeping in heat and are unlikely to have insulation.

Energy Sources

Houses that rely solely on electricity will likely be less efficient than those that also use gas for heating. Gas is usually cheaper, per unit, than electricity, oil, or LPG.

Effective Insulation

The more insulation a property has, the better. It is recommended that properties have around 250mm of insulation to be considered energy efficient. This is a quick and relatively inexpensive way of improving your EPC rating prior to selling.

Heating Control System

A good range of programmes and controls for the heating system will improve the EPC rating of the property. This includes a programmer, room thermostat and radiator thermostats.

Boilers

Boilers have a huge impact on the EPC rating. Naturally, modern boilers are far more efficient than older boilers, with the latest condensing boiler being around 92% efficient. Switching out an old boiler for a new boiler, suitable for the property, will improve the EPC rating significantly.

What is a Good EPC Score?

EPC is rated from A-G, with A being the most energy efficient. To achieve a rating of A, your property must score between 92-100. However, a Good EPC rating is a rating of A, B, or C, with scores between 69-100.

EPC is calculated using the Government’s Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), where points are awarded based on a number of energy-related factors that indicate the energy performance of a property.

How Do I Increase My EPC Rating?

There are a variety of ways in which you can improve your EPC rating. To get started, check your current EPC certificate; you should see two charts – your current EPC rating, and a potential EPC rating that could be achieved by making the amendments they recommend.

Some of these amendments could include:

• Double glazing
• Loft insulation
• Wall insulation
• Boiler replacement
• A secondary heating source

EICR, GAS and EPC Certificates in Bradford & Leeds

Valor Property Maintenance offers testing for EICR, Gas, and EPC certificates across Bradford and Leeds for both domestic and commercial properties. Contact us today for more information, or to get a quote.