As the UK moves to decarbonise its housing stock, Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are becoming increasingly influential in buying decisions, mortgage assessments and property valuations. In fact, research consistently shows a direct correlation between EPC ratings and value: in some cases, A-rated homes have been found to command premiums of 12% or more over lower-rated equivalents.

However, with more than 50% of EPCs containing at least one significant error (often stemming from mistakes made by assessors), the data underpinning hundreds of thousands of property decisions each month provides a misleading representation of the running costs, retrofit options, liveability and – crucially – true market value of a property. In many cases, this results in properties being downgraded to a lower EPC rating when such errors are rectified.

For instance, recent analysis of a sample of 1.1 million UK properties (with two EPCs issued in the past 10 years) found that almost 10% were downgraded by one band or more between the first and second inspection. While we would expect some downward movement (for instance, reflecting changing assessment methodologies), many downgrades result from data issues that can be identified through advanced analysis.

Change in EPC rating*

Leveraging PropEco's Enhanced EPC dataset, our EPC Audit service applies hundreds of checks to identify errors and inconsistencies that could impact the utility and value of a property. This empowers surveyors, valuers, lenders and buyers to make better-informed decisions and mitigate the risk of unexpected devaluations or costly, unforeseen retrofit obligations.

Moreover, to further inform and de-risk property assessments, the assessment provides useful insights into factors such as missing information, signs of property upgrades or extreme values.