It’s worth thinking about your EPC and finding out if you can improve it.
How your EPC can affect the value of your home
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
What is an EPC?
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rates your property’s overall energy efficiency. It measures and ranks the energy usage of your home on a scale of A to G, with A being the most energy-efficient, and G – the least.
To secure an EPC, an energy assessor will have to conduct a rigorous inspection of your property while looking at its structure, age, and specific categories, such as your heating, hot water, lighting, insulation. Your home will then be assigned a rank, along with recommendations for further improvements. The validity of the document lasts for 10 years.
A lower EPC rating indicates that your property is less energy-efficient, and will therefore cost more to heat than a home with a better rating. This would have a negative impact on your utility bills and your carbon footprint.
Property value and energy efficiency – what’s the connection?
Improving your EPC isn’t just about saving energy – it’s also about making your home legal and more desirable in the eyes of a prospective tenant or buyer.
According to MoneySupermarket, boosting your rank from a low G to a higher A can boost property value by as much as 14%? And research by Halifax suggests that buyers are increasingly willing to pay a ‘green premium’ of up to £40,000 (as at 2021). Even boosting your EPC from an E to a C could make a significant difference to your property’s value.
How to boost your EPC rating
Small improvements can make a big difference to your home’s energy efficiency. Even swapping your old lightbulbs for energy-saving ones or draught-proofing your doors and windows can make a significant difference.
One of the simplest and more effective ways to boost your home’s EPC rating and to keep your valuable heat in is to have cavity wall insulation and/or loft insulation installed. Around 25% of heat will escape through an uninsulated loft, while 35% of it will escape through the walls. By insulating the loft and cavity walls of a detached house, you could save hundreds of pounds on your energy bills each year.
Other changes you can make may include upgrading your boiler or replacing some home appliances with more energy-efficient models (they are ranked in a similar way, so those with an A+ grade would add greater value).
Three things you can do right now:
- Contact us to see if you qualify for an insulation grant.
- Check out our energy saving tips for practical ways to save energy (good for your bills and for the environment).
- Book a free no-obligation survey to have your home insulation checked by one of our professional surveyors.
