The Scottish Government is reforming domestic and non-domestic Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) because the current system is not fit for purpose in its ability to drive improvements and meet wider targets to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. EPCs are key for homeowners, renters and landlords alike to understand how their property fairs in energy performance, cost and efficiency. The Scottish Government’s ambition is to take a step beyond the Energy Performance Certificate concept, and aim for a more bespoke, tailored, technical approach on a variety of energy efficiency measures and clean heating systems.
Propertymark, the UK’s leading professional body for property agents, has been involved in Scottish Government stakeholder groups, including the Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment Expert Stakeholder Workshop in July 2024, and met with Scottish officials in June to discuss ways to improve EPCs. Topics discussed, included lack of resources for local councils to enforce future requirements and possible qualification requirements for assessors to improve consistency. Propertymark will also represent members’ views at the Energy Performance Certificates Reform External Reference Group where the policy will continue to be built on and developed.
The hope is that an additional technical suitability assessment could address a variety of future scenarios. These include how to guarantee that unsuitable heating systems are not installed in buildings which are complicated (like tenements) or harder to retrofit scenarios, such as traditional and protected buildings.
“Current metrics and ratings are inappropriate…”
In October 2023, Propertymark responded to an Energy Performance Certificate review from the Scottish Government, which was intended to gather views on reform of Energy Performance Certificates for domestic and non-domestic properties. The consultation also intended to demonstrate how Energy Performance Certificates could be improved, because current metrics and ratings are inappropriate to achieve the now legally binding target to hit net zero by 2045.
Propertymark has long supported a restructure of Energy Performance Certificates to reflect the contrasting architypes in both domestic and non-domestic stock but acknowledge that they are an appropriate tool to help reflect energy efficiency in buildings and people’s homes. To this end, Propertymark welcomed the Scottish Government’s acknowledgement over the variations between domestic and non-domestic stock regarding energy efficiency.
Propertymark also expressed its support for logbooks in response to the consultation, which would consist of comprehensive data on energy performance and include details of retrofitting work that has been finished. Information that can be used to support people when living in a property, plan for necessary improvements as well as enhance the home buying and selling process through greater upfront information.
The Scottish Government is keen to involve agents in the enforcement of Energy Performance Certificate requirements, ensuring the properties have updated certificates before they are put on sale. Propertymark will continue to represent property agents and ensure that any reforms the Scottish Government make are evidence based and improve on what we have already.
