Goadsby Comment: EPC information now available publicly3rd July 2012

There are over 7 million Energy Performance Certificates on the register and that number is growing by over a million per year. However, access to this data is currently very tightly controlled.

The register represents an extremely valuable source of information about the energy efficiency of buildings, and the benefits of making use of the data have made it desirable to widen access. From 22 April 2012 this data is publicly available.

This means individuals can look up an Energy Performance Certificate online via the register website allowing them to compare the energy performance of their property with that of similar buildings. This service is available free of charge.

Additionally, authorised organisations can have access to the Energy Performance Certificate data in bulk. The information available includes the address of the building, its energy efficiency rating, technical information about the building construction and the recommended improvements. There is a charge for this service to cover the costs associated with providing the data. Providing this wider access has a number of benefits, including:

• Enabling Green Deal providers to market offers to Energy Performance Certificate holders when the Green Deal is introduced later in 2012
• Identifying areas where a higher than average number of buildings have poor levels of energy efficiency
• Facilitating research and analysis, which can inform Government policy