The  sale of your home still needs an Energy Performance Certificate.

EPCs will still be needed when homes are sold or rented. 

From 21st May 2010, if you are renting out your property or selling, you will still need to provide a certificate to any prospective tenant /purchaser.

Once obtained, a certificate remains valid for 10 years. If a valid Energy Performance Certificate still exists when changing tenants no new certificate is required. This applies to both private and social sector landlords and tenants.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) explained

What is an Energy Performance Certificate?
The Energy Performance Certificate or EPC is the energy efficiency rating of a property/building as well as the projected carbon emissions of that property. The rating is represented graphically on a scale from A to G, where A stands for the most efficient energy performance and G stands for the least efficient energy performance.

Why is the Energy Performance Certificate so Important?
EPC's are a direct outcome of the European Union Directive 2002/91/EC, inspired by the Kyoto Protocol aimed at cutting back on energy consumption and ecological deterioration due to CO 2 emissions, incorporated in Housing Act 2004

About 40% of UK's energy consumption results from domestic uses - due to lighting, heating, air-conditioning and other household uses. The issuance of EPCs will be a concrete step in curtailing this massive consumption. They not only give an estimation of the energy efficiency, EPC's also have necessary information to help improve the energy-efficiency of a home/building.

Further information on how to take action and to find out about grants for making your home more energy efficient can be obtained by contacting the  Energy Savings Trust on  0800 512 012 or visit www.est.org.uk/myhome.

Lowering of energy consumption will cut down on carbon emissions simultaneously. This way, EPC's not only help save money and energy, but also successfully contribute to the cause of environmental improvement.

EPCs
Again, EPC's are helping buyers take the right decisions by providing them adequate information. Actually, the better the rating, the higher is the energy efficiency of the property and the lower the fuel bills. With lower energy consumption, expenses will be less and the impact on the climate will be favorable. This being the case, a property with a good energy performance rating will invite more buyers.

With suitable advises on ways of saving energy and cutting carbon emissions, EPC's have helped property sellers enhance their reliability; the buyers too benefit in that they can now make their new homes energy-efficient and bio-friendly.

Issuing EPC's
In compliance with the European Directive for the Energy Performance of Buildings, all member countries of the European Union have been directed to introduce EPC's as a measure to curb energy wastage and harmful ecological consequences. Hence, the UK government now requires the sellers/landlords to submit EPC

Property-owners, who are contemplating to sell their holdings can either obtain EPC's by directly seeking the services of Domestic Energy Assessors  or approach them through their agents.