EPCs ‘no longer fit for purpose’, RICS insists

The Government has been warned that EPCs are no longer fit for purpose, and the public don’t understand what they are used for.

Changes are needed to the way EPC ratings are calculated and presented, according to RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).

By digitising EPC data and creating ‘building passports’, RICS says, it would allow prospective property buyers to tailor information depending on their expected energy use.

RICS says: “Improve the EPC scheme to make it fit for the different purposes that it serves. Significant improvements can be made to the way EPCs are calculated, presented and used.”

Now is a good time to raise awareness about EPCs, RICS says: The current rise in energy prices and the increase in extreme weather events caused by climate change provide a big opportunity to raise awareness about the condition of the UK building stock, and establish a clear link between building performance, energy cost and carbon emissions.”

Shake-up needed

In its new report Decarbonising UK Real Estate, RICS says a “shake-up” is needed in the way the country approaches carbon reduction in buildings.

The report calls for new measures to track the lifetime carbon output of each building.

Fabrizio Varriale, Place and Space Analyst at RICS, says: “Crucial changes need to be made in the way that carbon output is tracked in the UK’s built environment.

“By implementing the policy recommendations set out in this report, the UK Government will maximise the impact that sustainability policies in the built environment sector will bring to achieving its net zero goals by 2050.”