An EPC rating is a standardized metric for scoring the energy efficiency of your home or rental property. The better the grade, the better your home’s energy efficiency is.
While improving this rating was once a mere nice-to-have, it’s a necessity today. A higher EPC rating means boosted property value, decreased energy bills, and reassurance that you’re staying ahead of future energy rules. As energy prices continue to fluctuate unpredictably and regulations keep tightening, enhancing efficiency is the safest long-term investment for your home and budget.
Domestic energy assessors consider everything from roof insulation to heating systems to windows and doors to appliances to lighting when evaluating buildings’ EPC ratings. Focusing on these areas during upgrades and renovations will have the biggest impact.
But before diving into improvements, it’s vital to understand the EPC rating scale and the gravity of failing to hit government-imposed benchmarks for landlords.
Energy performance certificates (EPCs) let you know how the energy efficiency of a building — in this case, your home. They aren’t to be confused by the multi-coloured labels found on new home appliances like ovens, refrigerators, and washing machines.
Among other information on the EPC, you’ll find the EPC rating (the letter denoting the building’s energy efficiency). The scale runs from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). The more inefficient the home’s energy, the more it will cost to heat and light. Plus, its CO2 emissions will be higher.
These ratings are valid for ten years, and while they may not seem important on the surface, they’re cruciality lies in their influence on energy costs, environmental impact, and rental or sale feasibility.
Understanding and improving your EPC rating has many benefits, such as:
And for landlords, it’s even more important. EPC ratings must comply with the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). At the time of writing, letting properties must have an EPC rating of at least E, but this is set to increase to C by 2028 and to B by 2030. So, making improvements early avoids high future costs.
Achieving a high EPC rating requires strategy, structure, and is entirely dependent on the current efficiency state of your building. The below improvements will certainly boost your ratings, but understanding the specific areas you need to work on requires knowledge of the upgrades already performed on your property.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the ten most typically effective changes that will boost your EPC rating.
During an EPC assessment, the assessor will measure loft insulation depth. While modern builds are typically equipped with sufficient loft insulation, older properties often require upgrades to prevent heat loss. If your insulation depth is 150mm or less, it’s time for an upgrade. Aim for 270mm depth between the joists to improve your rating.
A cavity wall is where your building’s external wall is constructed as two walls close to each other, with a gap (i.e., the cavity) between them. While most homes constructed after 1983 come with cavity wall insulation, those built prior to the regulation-tightening year did not. Retrofitting such insulation will improve your EPC rating.
Even without cavities, your solid walls may be letting heat escape, damaging your EPC rating. To prevent this, you can add external wall insulation and internal wall insulation. The former involves fixing insulation panels to the exterior brickwork before applying weatherproof render/cladding. The latter involves fixing insulation batts or boards with wooden battens to the inside before installing insulated plasterboard.
Older boilers consume a lot of energy for central heating and hot water, drastically decreasing your EPC rating. So much so that old models can drop ratings to an E, regardless of energy efficiency in other areas.
Modern, A-rated boilers, however, can fix that. They’re purpose-built to waste less energy, with experts confirming that upgrading from a G-rated boiler to an A-rated condensing model improves your score by up to 40 points.
Air source heat pumps are becoming more popular as sustainable, energy-efficient upgrades to your heating system. Their efficiency comes from their ability to transfer heat, rather than generating it, improving your EPC rating by:
These days, all light bulbs need to be LED — even in lamps. They consume up to 90% less power than incandescent bulbs, saving substantial energy and money.
Unlike traditional bulbs, LED (light emitting diode) bulbs convert most of the energy into light, rather than heat, ensuring your home pulls less power to achieve effective room lighting. And luckily, these bulbs have become the most common on the market, guaranteeing an easy switch.
If you already having double glazing, changing to triple glazing is unlikely to significantly improve your EPC rating. However, switching from single glazing to newly fitted double/triple glazed windows will provide a great performance improvement by reducing the amount of home heat loss.
According to reports, installing solar panels generally improves your EPC rating by one band, making a noticeable difference in your energy bills, home’s value, and eligibility for eco-rooted grants and loans.
Plus, the government’s plethora of solar-related schemes make adding solar panels financially easier. The Smart Export Guarantee, for example, allows you to earn money by selling energy back to the grid. Not to mention that homeowners pay 0% VAT on residential solar panel installation.
Installing thermostats, programmers, and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) boost your EPC rating by offering localised heating and reducing energy waste in unused rooms.
Even if you have the above, going the extra mile with a smart thermostat can improve your rating even further. Assessors recognise the abilities of remote regulation and smart scheduling this addition provides.
Draught-proofing prevents unwanted cold air entering your home through gaps and cracks, ensuring your heating system doesn’t work overtime to provide a comfortable temperature. While you shouldn’t block/seal extractor fans, wall vents, underfloor grilles/airbricks, or trickle vents, you can cover gaps in doors, windows, beams, skirting boards, stairways, fireplaces, and floorboards.
Depending on where your draughts come from, you can perform a few basic fixes to correct them:
Improving your EPC rating requires a structured approach. However, with the above-mentioned tips and your certificate, you’re bound to make worthwhile changes that won’t just impact your bills and future sales/rental feasibility, but also the health of our planet.
If you live in one of our eligible areas, you could qualify for fully funded home upgrades as part of our retrofit programme. From insulation to heating improvements, our team handles everything from assessment to installation.
Check your eligibility today and start your journey to a warmer, more efficient home at no cost.
