Does your home or a property you own have a low EPC rating?
The EPC – Energy Performance Certificate – of a home is a score of how energy-efficient it is. A better EPC means less energy wastage and lower bills. However, making the necessary changes can be difficult, especially if you don’t own your home.
EPC rating: what is it?
With the cost of living continuing to rise, households across the UK are looking for ways to budget better and reduce unnecessary costs. One option is to improve their home’s EPC rating and reduce the amount of energy they waste.
Every residential property in the UK that has been bought, sold or rented since May 2010 has been given an Energy Performance Certificate or EPC. An EPC is a letter grade given to properties based on how energy-efficient they are, going from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). Once carried out an EPC is valid for 10 years.
You can find out the EPC of your property here.
How is my EPC calculated?
Your EPC is based on factors including the amount of energy the property uses per m² and the volume of carbon dioxide emitted in a year. In turn, these are affected by things like the property’s lighting, insulation and heating. These factors are converted into a score called SAP points by assessors, and your EPC is based on your score out of 100.
How can tenants improve their EPC rating?
Most advice on how to improve the EPC of a property is directed towards the property owner. However, as energy bills rise, tenants and renters are increasingly interested in how they can make their homes more efficient to save energy. Unfortunately, as a property’s EPC is based on permanent, structural factors there is very little you can do to change it without the permission and cooperation of the property owner.
If you can though, it is worth talking to your landlord about updating the property. Although some may be inconvenient or expensive up front, these changes will increase the property value and make it more appealing for future tenants.
Ways to improve your EPC rating
There are several common changes recommended after an EPC assessment to boost a home’s score. They include:
- Installing double-glazed windows
- Fitting Insulation in cavity walls and lofts
- Switching older boilers for newer, more efficient models
- Upgrading lightbulbs to energy-efficient LEDs
Minimum EPC rating
Since April 2020, all rental properties must have an EPC of grade ‘E’ or above or a certificate of exemption. Initially, there was a plan to raise this minimum grade to C by 2025. However, following complaints from landlords, this plan has been replaced by an aim to bring ‘as many domestic properties as possible’ up to grade C by 2030, where it is deemed ‘practical, cost-effective and affordable‘.
What are some problems with EPC ratings?
As you can probably tell from the list above, most of the changes that can improve the EPC of a property cannot be carried out without the permission and support of the property owner. Many of these changes also increase the value of the property, leading to debate over who should be responsible for the upgrades if they are requested by the tenant but stand to benefit the landlord in the long term.
The EPC rating system is also a ‘one-size-fits-all’ method of evaluating properties with the same points system applied to everyone regardless of the situation. Property owners have reported being told to fit cavity wall insulation in historically listed stone houses with solid walls, for example. The advice offered on how to improve a property’s rating is sometimes impossible to carry out.
What else can I do to reduce my energy bills?
If you are a tenant, you might find yourself limited in the amount you can do to improve the EPC of the property you live in.
If you cannot make any permanent changes to your property that might improve your EPC, there are still steps you can take to reduce your energy usage and bills.
While not as effective as replacing windows with double glazing, fitting plastic insulation sheets over your windows in winter will have a similar heat-trapping effect, reducing heat lost outdoors.
Replacing bulbs with energy-efficient models is another possible switch for tenants. Low-power LED bulbs score more points on an EPC assessment and will cut your lighting bill.
You can also make sure that the appliances you buy for the property are as efficient as possible. In 2021 the government adjusted their efficiency ratings for appliances. Where before 90% of appliances scored an A++ there is now a wider range of scores on display, from A to G. While not the same as your EPC, opting for better scoring devices when you’re upgrading your appliances will save you energy and money in the long run.
