Common use of ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE Clause in Contracts

ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE. Before the tenancy starts, the landlord must give the tenant a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for the property if one is needed. If the tenancy is for renting a room with shared access to other rooms such as a kitchen, bathroom and living room, an EPC is not needed. It is a requirement under law that the EPC must be ‘affixed’ to the building - it will often be located in the boiler or meter cupboard. The EPC must not be more than 10 years old. The EPC has to be made available to a tenant free of charge. The EPC tells the tenant about the energy efficiency of the property. If a property is energy efficient, the fuel bills for the person living in the home (for heating and lighting) will be lower than if the property is not energy efficient. The EPC ratings can be A, B, C, D, E, F or G. An "A" rating on an EPC is the best rating - this would be given to a home which was very energy efficient and should have low bills for fuel and lighting. A "G" rating on an EPC is the worst - so the least energy efficient, which may have higher bills for fuel and lighting.