The Scottish Government has released its response to the 2023 Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Reform Consultation, outlining significant changes to enhance EPCs’ effectiveness in promoting energy efficiency and supporting net-zero goals.
Key Highlights:
- Retaining the rating on modelled energy costs: Consumer testing tells them this is important, though many in the sector are concerned that it can become out-of-date and may be increasingly affected by time of use tariffs.
- New Rating System: Introduction of an improved EPC rating system providing consumers with detailed insights into their property’s fabric energy efficiency and heating system performance.
- Redesigned Certificates: Launch of user-friendly EPCs with better design and accessibility, incorporating feedback from consumer testing.
- Enhanced Quality Assurance: Implementation of strengthened governance arrangements for EPC assessors to ensure reliable assessments for consumers, including onsite inspections in addition to desk-based auditing.
- Validity Period: reduced from 10 years to 5 so information is ‘more up-to-date’, but not going as far as requiring it to be accurate at point of use.
- Dynamic EPC: a new user interface to sit alongside the published EPC.
- New EPC Register: linked into the UK Government’s calculation and processing infrastructure.
- HEETSA: an additional assessment, to approve methodologies and services that support more detailed technical advice beyond the EPC.
- Language: the change in naming of the ‘Fabric Energy Efficiency Rating’ to the ‘Heat Retention Rating’, and from ‘Recommendations’ to ‘Potential Improvement Options’ as a clearer, more appropriate representation of these elements of the EPC.
- Decarbonising Heat: Rather than recommend more efficient fossil-fuelled heating, the EPC will set out non-polluting options on a technology-neutral basis.
These reforms are scheduled to be laid before Parliament in 2025 and come into force in 2026, in line with the Home Energy Model.
They will then form the basis of negotiations with UK Government and devolved administrations on assessor skills and qualifications, a welcome move to improve quality and avoid confusion and costs to the sector – particularly those who work on either side of the border.
For a comprehensive understanding of the proposed changes, read the full government response here: Scottish Government
