If you are looking to sell or rent your property then you absolutely need an EPC certificate. The only exceptions are specialised buildings, such as churches, temporary buildings and listed properties.
For the full list of exempt building see the government’s dedicated EPC site.
However, even if you’re not intending on selling your property, getting an EPC certificate is a cheap and quick way to assess the energy-saving potential of your property.
Bear in mind that a lot of newer properties may already have an EPC certificate, and may also be very energy efficient.
Prospective landlords looking to rent their property must also have an EPC available for tenants to view. If they fail to produce one, they could face a fine.
The only other situation where you need an EPC certificate is if you are looking to receive payments under the Feed-in Tariff scheme for solar panels. Your property must have an EPC rating of ‘D’ or higher to be eligible for Feed-in Tariff payments at the standard rate.