Improved data source for allocating Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs)
From 27 March 2025, the Energy Performance Certificates for Buildings (EPC) dataset will use the Ordnance Survey's newer National Geographic Database (NGD) instead of AddressBase Premium. This change will allow us to allocate UPRNs to the EPC dataset more effectively.
What this means for you
As the AddressBase Premium database was updated every six weeks, there were often delays in allocating UPRNs for new dwellings.
Using the newer NGD will reduce these delays as it is updated daily. This means the EPC dataset will feature fewer missing UPRNs.
You can learn more about the NGD and its broader benefits on the Ordnance Survey website.
New field to identify new dwellings
We’ve also published a new report_type field to help you identify new dwellings more accurately.
The new field identifies whether a certificate is for a new or existing dwelling based on the type of assessment carried out by the assessor. A new build, conversion or change of use dwelling is assessed using a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP). A Reduced Standard Assessment Procedure (RdSAP) is a reduced version of the SAP methodology used to assess existing dwellings.
Key for the new field
| Report_type value | Assessment type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) | New dwellings (including conversions and change of use) |
| 100 | Reduced Standard Assessment Procedure (RdSAP) | Existing dwellings |
What this means for you
Previously, users could use the transaction_type field to identify new dwellings. However, this often led to an underestimation of the total number of new dwellings. This is because assessors could record the transaction type as something other than a new dwelling, such as a house sale.
Today’s change will affect around 7% of the data where assessors previously recorded the transaction_type as something other than a new dwelling, allowing you to identify a more accurate number of new dwellings from the data.
Get support
If you have any questions about the new improvements to the dataset, email odc@communities.gov.uk to get in touch with the team.