Use the official register first. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, search by postcode, street name and town, or certificate number. In Scotland, use the Scottish EPC register.
An EPC is normally valid for 10 years, but if the property has changed a lot since it was issued, the old record may no longer be a useful guide. · 3 min read
The official service is Find an energy certificate on GOV.UK.
You can search by postcode, street name and town, or certificate number. That is usually the fastest way to check EPC rating on an existing property.
The service lets you see the current EPC, recommendation report, and whether the property already has a lodged certificate on the register.
Scotland uses a separate route. The Scottish Government says you can check whether a building has an EPC on the Scottish EPC Register.
You can search the Scottish register by postcode or by the EPC report reference number.
If the record is missing or out of date, the Scottish Government says the next step is to get an EPC assessor through the Scottish EPC register route.
For England, Wales and Northern Ireland, GOV.UK says an EPC is normally valid for 10 years. The Scottish Government says the same for Scotland.
Look at the issue date, then ask whether the property has changed since then. New windows, added insulation, heating-system changes, or extensions can make the older record less useful.
If no certificate is lodged or the old one has expired, the next step is a new EPC assessment from an accredited assessor. The official register pages point you to that route.
Sources checked on 18 April 2026: GOV.UK find an energy certificate, GOV.UK Energy Performance Certificates, gov.scot how to get an EPC, and gov.scot EPC guide.