Domestic EPC: what to prepare before an assessment

Before booking a domestic EPC, check whether the home already has a valid certificate. An EPC can remain valid for ten years, although a newer certificate replaces an older one. The government energy certificate register is a useful first stop. If there is no valid record, or the property has changed and you want its current features assessed, a fresh enquiry makes sense.

For an existing home, the assessor needs a reliable account of what is actually there. That usually means looking at the building's dimensions, construction, insulation, windows, heating and hot water. A domestic EPC is an energy performance assessment; it is not a structural survey or a promise of a particular rating. A tidy quotation should make the property and access arrangements clear before the visit.

Three details help at the outset: the full address, the type and approximate size of the home, and why you need the EPC. A flat in a converted building can raise different access questions from a detached house. Mention extensions, loft conversions or a recently replaced heating system. If you have evidence of insulation or other work that may not be visible, keep it ready and ask the assessor whether it can be used.

On the day, make relevant rooms, the boiler and any accessible loft space available where practical. The assessor decides what can be recorded under the applicable method; missing evidence can affect how an element is represented. You do not need to guess the rating in advance. Send Energy Move the property details and preferred timing so we can discuss the scope, availability and price of your domestic EPC assessment.

For the next step, see Domestic EPC.