Note: This article references draft BUS guidance expected to apply from 28 April 2026. For the fuller operational context, read our full BUS changes guide.
Short answer
For retrofit BUS applications, the draft position is no. A valid EPC is no longer expected to be a blocking requirement from 28 April 2026. If there is a valid EPC, the certificate number should still be provided. If you want the wider operational picture, start with our full April 2026 BUS update.
What changed
The application rule changed, not the technical information you need to quote the job. The EPC used to provide a baseline on construction, insulation, glazing, and heating context. If that certificate is absent, the survey still has to capture those things properly.
What installers still need when no EPC is available
- Fabric inputs: wall type, loft insulation, floor type, cavity status, and glazing.
- Heating context: existing boiler, fuel, emitter mix, and controls.
- Electrics: consumer unit condition, spare ways, supply capacity, and obvious upgrade points.
- Plant and access: outdoor unit position, clearances, cylinder space, and access routes.
- Pack usability: enough structure that design can work from the file without ringing the surveyor back.
No EPC available does not mean lighter evidence. It means the survey pack becomes the first source rather than the cross-check.
Common mistakes
- Treating “no EPC needed” as “less information needed”. It is not.
- Leaving fabric assumptions vague. That slows heat loss inputs and weakens first-pass quoting.
- Skipping electrics on straightforward-looking jobs. That is one of the easiest ways to create office chasing and install-day friction.
- Repeating the full BUS explainer here. This page is for the direct question. The wider process context sits in the full BUS changes guide.
Brief FAQ
Is the EPC gone for every route?
No. This article is about the retrofit BUS route described in draft guidance. Check final published guidance for route-specific detail.
Should customers still get an EPC if they already have one due?
That depends on the wider transaction, but it is no longer the key operational question for the installer. The key question is whether the survey pack stands up without it.
What should the office team rely on when there is no EPC?
A pack that captures fabric, heating, electrics, access, and hot-water context clearly enough to support quoting and handoff without assumptions.
For the wider change set, go back to the full BUS changes guide. For the practical workflow side, compare that with our deliverables and the installer pack path shown on the installers page.
See what a usable pack looks like
If your current workflow relies on EPC data to steady the quote, look at a sample pack built to stand up without it. The job still needs to move from survey to quote to design without office drag.