This report recommends that the metrics, methodology and uses of domestic EPCs should be reformed to align with the decision-making needed to accelerate building decarbonisation and expand access to warm homes.

Key findings

Energy Systems Catapult proposes that the EPC should have three headline ratings of equal importance, aligned to the outcomes most of interest to property owners, occupiers and policy makers:

• Energy Use Metric: this would give a clear indication of the predicted total energy use of the fixed elements of the building, incentivising improvements to both the fabric efficiency of the building and the efficiency of its heating system.
• Climate Impact Metric: this would give a clear indication of the emissions attributable to the property’s energy use and enable decision-making to target the property’s decarbonisation.
• Energy Cost Metric: this would give a clear indication of how the energy costs of the property compare to others and facilitate continued use of EPCs in policy related to fuel poverty and energy affordability.

The EPC could be complemented by a Smart Building Rating (SBR), which would indicate a building’s capacity to provide flexibility to the electricity system. Shifting energy demand to times when it is abundant, clean, and cheap will be essential as the UK moves towards greater dependency on intermittent renewables.

Alongside the new metrics, the Catapult is advocating for greater use of real data and measurement of building performance within EPCs. Moving to a system of Digital Building Passports, which would bring together relevant information about a building’s energy performance, would enable greater integration with Local Area Energy Planning and personalised retrofit advice.