Do You Need an EPC When You Move House? What Sellers, Landlords and Buyers Should Know

Selling, letting, buying or just moving: here's when you need an Energy Performance Certificate, and when you don't.

What an EPC actually is

An Energy Performance Certificate rates how energy efficient a property is, from A (best) to G (worst), and estimates what it costs to heat and light. It also lists the improvements that would push the rating up. A qualified domestic energy assessor visits the property, checks things like insulation, windows, heating and lighting, and the certificate is valid for ten years from the date it's issued.

Selling: get it sorted before the listing goes live

If you're selling, the law says you must have commissioned an EPC before you start marketing the property, and you must give a copy to anyone seriously interested. Estate agents will usually ask for it on day one. Leave it late and you can be fined, but more to the point, it slows everything down.

First check whether one already exists. Every EPC issued in England and Wales sits on the GOV.UK register and you can search it free by postcode. If the last one was issued less than ten years ago, you may not need a new one at all.

If you do need a fresh certificate, book an accredited assessor early rather than in the last week. We work alongside Assessment Hive, who carry out domestic and commercial EPCs across London and the Home Counties. Andrew and the team are quick, and they've also put together a useful moving house checklist that walks through EPCs and removals side by side.

Letting: the minimum rating matters

Landlords in England and Wales can't grant a new tenancy, or renew one, on a property rated F or G without a registered exemption. The minimum is currently E, and the government has set out plans to raise that to C by 2030. If your rental is sitting at D or E now, the recommendations section of the EPC is the place to start, and an assessor can tell you which measures will actually move the rating.

Buying or renting: read the one you're given

You don't have to arrange an EPC when you're the one moving in, but don't ignore it either. The rating tells you roughly what the bills will look like, and the recommendations list is a ready-made to-do list for the first year. A poor rating is also a fair thing to raise when you're negotiating.

Where the EPC fits in the moving timeline

Think of it as one of the early admin jobs, in the same bracket as the mortgage and the solicitor rather than the last-week jobs like redirecting post. A sensible order looks like this:

1. 8 to 12 weeks out: check the register, book the EPC if you need one, instruct your solicitor.
2. 4 to 6 weeks out: book your removals company and get a proper survey done. Our pre-removal survey takes ten minutes by video.
3. 2 to 3 weeks out: work through who to inform and sort your utilities transfer.
4. The final week: pack, label, and keep the paperwork (EPC included) in a folder that travels with you, not in the van.

The bit we handle

Once the certificate is done and the sale or tenancy is moving, the rest of the stress is the move itself. That's the part Light Rock takes care of: careful packing, a crew that turns up when they say they will, and clear pricing with no hidden fees. If you'd like a quote, send us a few details and we'll come back to you quickly, usually with a video survey so there are no surprises on the day.