Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee 11 November 2025
Good morning. I am pleased to join the committee today to speak to the draft Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2025, which will legislate to reform energy performance certificates.
The EPC system has formed a long-standing part of Scotland’s property market since 2008 and of retained European Union law across the United Kingdom. However, the Scottish Government has heard concerns from stakeholders such as the Climate Change Committee and consumer groups such as Which? that EPCs need to change and be of higher quality. I want them to be accurate, up to date and relevant, and to give consumers the information that they need on the journey to net zero and warmer, more energy-efficient homes.
We have consulted extensively over the past four years on EPC reform. Users have been at the centre of that, helping to design a new EPC that I believe is now fit for purpose. I will be glad to share that design with the committee after our session.
The draft regulations that I have introduced do three things. First, they retain the well-established and well-understood parts of the existing EPC system, namely the existing trigger points for when an EPC is required, the standardised assessment that is carried out by suitably skilled and accredited assessors and a public register of certificates.
Secondly, they introduce the new reforms that we believe are necessary: a redesigned certificate that has been shaped by user feedback; new ratings and a new property report to ensure that consumers have clear information on current and potential fabric performance, heating systems and costs; a reduced validity period from 10 to five years to ensure that consumers have more up-to-date information; and strengthened quality assurance for EPC assessors to safeguard consumers.
Finally, they protect the property market during the transition. By introducing the regulations a year before they come into force and including a further one-year transition period, we are supporting the market to adjust to the new regime. That will be underpinned by a clear communications and engagement campaign. Consumers will also benefit from an interactive interface for a more dynamic EPC and through the heat and energy efficiency technical suitability assessment.
That is what today’s reform regulations will do, but I should be clear that they do not mandate property owners to meet an energy efficiency standard. We have consulted separately on those matters, but decisions have yet to be taken.
By introducing the reformed EPC and the new rating systems as a first step, we are providing a foundation for our wider heat in buildings programme, giving certainty to all sectors on how we will measure energy performance and any future standards that might be linked to that. My officials and I will be glad to discuss that with the committee.