What is an EPC?  An EPC is a document legally required to form part of the Home Information Pack (HIP) when you sell your home. It illustrates how energy efficient your home is. The certificate provides you with a rating for the property; it shows the energy efficiency and the environmental impact on a scale from A-G in graphical format. 'A' being the most efficient and 'G' the least efficient, it also contains recommended ways to improve the building's energy performance. Two ratings will be shown. The environmental impact rating is a measure of a home's impact on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide (C02) emissions - the higher the rating, the less impact it has on the environment. The energy-efficiency rating is a measure of a home's overall efficiency. The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the home is, and the lower the fuel bills are likely to be. A typical certificate will look like this:  Most properties in England and Wales rate somewhere in the 50s, band D and E. The certificate is also a summary of the proeprties features, for example the heating type or loft insulation measurement, and rates them very poor to very good. This allows you to see at a glance which features are lowering the rating. In addition the completed certificate will recommend improvements to increase the property's efficiency. This may be increasing the depth of the loft insulation or installing low energy light bulbs, or replacing an old inefficient boiler.  The recommendation made are in two parts: Lower Cost Measures (£500 or less) and Higher Cost Measures (£500+). The impact and saving of each improvement is provided and shown on the graph next to the properties current rating. For owners really keen to make their property as energy efficient as possible, there is a Further Measures section. These improvemnts are generally more expensive and have a long payback period. For example, solar panels for providing the water heating.