A lodged EPC is public: anyone can look it up by postcode on the government’s register. A pre-assessment is not. I survey the home exactly as I would for an EPC, then send you the written plan instead of lodging a certificate, so you decide what happens next.
What you get
- The full survey. Every room measured, and the walls, loft, windows, heating, hot water and lighting recorded, as for any EPC.
- A written Improvement Plan. Why the home scores what it does, which improvements would raise it and where to start. It is the same plan that can be added to an EPC, and you can see a real one with the address blurred out.
- Nothing on the register. No certificate is lodged, so no rating becomes public.
- Within 72 hours. The plan is emailed within 72 hours of the visit. With nothing to lodge, there is no faster option to pay for.
When it makes sense
You want to improve first
If you are planning insulation, heating or window work anyway, a pre-assessment tells you which of it matters for the rating before you spend anything. The EPC can come afterwards, recording the home as it is once the work is finished.
You are a landlord looking at 2030
Rented homes must be band E or above today. The government has decided that from 1 October 2030 they must meet a higher standard, still subject to Parliament, and a rented home with an EPC rated C before 1 October 2029 will count as meeting it until that EPC expires or is replaced. Knowing the score first helps you decide whether to improve before you lodge. The detail is in EPC C by 2030.
You just want to know
Some owners simply want to understand their home without a rating going on public record. That is a perfectly good reason too.
What it cannot do
A pre-assessment is not an EPC. It cannot be used to sell a home or let one, and it does not show that a rented home meets the minimum energy efficiency standard. If you are about to market a property, you need an EPC, ordered before the listing goes live.
Prices by size
| Up to 52 m² | £89 |
|---|---|
| 53 to 70 m² | £95 |
| 71 to 95 m² | £105 |
| 96 to 110 m² | £110 |
| 111 m² or more | From £115 |
Internal floor area. Guide prices with no VAT on top, confirmed in writing before anything is booked, and paid after the visit. Not sure of the size? Send the address and I will check it.
Turning it into an EPC later
If you decide you want the certificate after all, I can lodge it from the same survey for £35. That only works on two conditions, and both have to hold:
- nothing about the home has changed since the visit; and
- the survey can still be lodged under the accreditation scheme’s rules.
Ask me before you rely on it. If work has been done in the meantime, the EPC needs a new visit and is priced as a new EPC, which is usually what you want anyway: a certificate that shows the improvements.
Common questions
What is an EPC pre-assessment?
A full EPC survey and a written plan explaining the score and what would raise it, without anything being lodged on the government register.
How much does a pre-assessment cost?
£89 for homes up to 52 m², rising to from £115 for homes of 111 m² or more, by internal floor area: £20 more than the EPC for the same size.
Can I use a pre-assessment to sell or let my home?
No. It is not an EPC, so it cannot be used to sell or let, or to show that a rented home meets the minimum standard.
Can the pre-assessment be turned into an EPC?
Yes, for £35, as long as nothing about the home has changed and the survey can still be lodged under the scheme’s rules. Ask first. If the home has changed, it needs a new visit, priced as a new EPC.
Will my score appear on the public register?
No. Nothing is lodged, so no rating goes on the register unless you later ask for an EPC.
Where to go next
What the Improvement Plan covers, the improvements that usually come first, and every price.