Guide
The Energy Performance Certificate rates efficiency. It also records the floor area, the construction, and how many rooms a home has.
Every home sold or let in England needs an Energy Performance Certificate. Most people glance at the A-to-G rating, but the certificate holds more than that.
The band, A at best to G at worst, predicts running costs and, more and more, what you're allowed to do with the place. Minimum energy standards already restrict letting F and G-rated homes, and the bar keeps rising. A poor rating means high bills now and likely upgrade costs later, so factor it into your offer.
The certificate also records the floor area in square metres, which is the most useful number for judging whether a price is fair. Agents sell rooms and "feel", but £ per square metre gives a fair comparison. It also logs the construction, the number of habitable rooms, and often how many times the place has been extended, which you can check against the listing.
A missing EPC is unusual, because one is legally required to market a home, so ask why. It can be an oversight, or it can mean the property has sat outside the normal sale-and-let cycle, which raises its own questions.