You must have a valid Energy Performance Certificate before a property is marketed for sale or let, and it lasts ten years. If the existing certificate is still in date, you do not need a new one — even if the rating is poor.
How to do it
- Check the register first. A certificate from within the last ten years is still valid and costs you nothing to reuse.
- If it has expired, book an accredited domestic energy assessor. Prices are set by the market, so get more than one quote.
- Consider timing if you have done work. An assessment carried out after new insulation, glazing or a new boiler will reflect it; one done before will not, and you are then stuck with the lower rating for ten years.
- Get it done before marketing rather than during. The certificate has to be commissioned before the property goes on the market.
A poor rating does not stop you selling — the obligation is to have a certificate, not to reach a particular band. The letting rules are different and much stricter, which is where the confusion usually comes from.
One timing point worth knowing: the certificate is being reformed from October 2026 to show four separate metrics rather than one headline letter, so a rating obtained now and a rating obtained after the change will not be directly comparable.
Check it yourself, free
EPC finder — check the existing certificate first — no account, no email wall.
Sources
Related
- How to find any property's EPC for free
- What each EPC band actually means
- The documents to get together before you list
- Is an old EPC still valid?
Last reviewed: 2026-09-20. We check these against the linked official sources and re-date the page when they change.