How to improve your property’s EPC rating

Big Energy Saving Week is here, so it's the perfect time to think about the energy efficiency of the properties you manage. Take the time to consider some simple steps you can take to reduce your property's consumption, improve your carbon footprint, and improve your overall Energy Performance Certificate rating.

What is an Energy Performance Certificate?

Your Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) will give you a rating of A-G, which tells you how energy-efficient your property is. A ranking of 'A' means very efficient, while 'G' means very inefficient. 

Why should you improve your EPC rating?

There are lots of benefits to improving your EPC rating. Currently, your property legally needs to meet the minimum required rating of 'E', so improving your EPC rating will help you stay in line with these regulations. What's more, having a higher EPC rating will mean that your property is more energy-efficient, the carbon footprint of your property is lower, and energy bills will cost less. This might help you to attract more tenants when letting your property.

7 ways to improve your EPC rating 

1. Upgrade to LED bulbs 

Upgrading your lightbulbs to LEDs is a quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive way to improve your EPC rating. LEDs are far more energy efficient than traditional halogen or incandescent bulbs. As a result, making this simple switch could save the average household £60 a year in energy costs. 

2. Insulate the roof and walls 

Uninsulated or improperly insulated properties typically lose 33% of their heat through the roof. Increasing your loft insulation to at least 270mm will help to stop excess heat from escaping. 

Additionally, around a third of heat in an uninsulated home is lost through the walls. Many more modern homes in the UK have cavity walls, meaning there is a gap between two layers of brick in the wall. For only around £370-£500, you can fill this gap with insulation. This can save you around £280 a year on your energy bills. 

Older properties, usually built before 1920, will probably still have solid walls. These can be insulated from the inside or the outside. While this does tend to be one of the more expensive things you can do to improve your EPC rating, it is one of the most effective ways to improve the energy efficiency of your property. 

3. Upgrade your boiler 

Inefficient boilers can drag down your EPC rating unnecessarily. Consider upgrading your boiler to a new condensing boiler. Just this one change could improve your EPC rating by as much as 40 points, depending on the age of the existing boiler you are replacing. New boilers can cost between £1,000 and £3,000, but as the average lifespan of a boiler is 10-15 years, this is a long-lasting and sensible investment for your property. 

4. Install double or triple-glazed windows 

Around 18% of your property's heat is lost through the windows. As a result, there is no point in perfecting the insulation of your roof and walls if you are going to neglect the windows. Installing double-glazing (or even triple-glazing, if you wish!) will significantly reduce the amount of heat lost through your windows. This could improve your EPC rating by 5-10 points.

5. Install underfloor heating or insulate your floors

Underfloor heating systems operate at a lower temperature than typical central heating systems. This means that they consume less energy (as long as your property is properly insulated). Installing underfloor heating could cost you anything from £50 to £200 per square metre but has the potential to make your property significantly more energy efficient.

If you're looking for a cheaper option, you could just add insulation below the ground floor of your property to avoid heat from escaping into the ground below. This could save you between £80 and £135 a year in heating costs. 

6. Install a smart meter 

Installing a smart meter doesn't improve your EPC rating by itself, but it does give you a better insight into how much energy your property uses, helps guide any changes you might need to make, and allows you to measure the effectiveness of these changes. If you're looking to improve your EPC rating, installing a smart meter is a great place to start.

7. Invest in better heating controls 

Having greater control over your central heating makes it easier to manage both usage and costs. To assist with this, you could add additional heating controls to your property, including a programmer, a room thermostat, and thermostatic radiator valves.

Improve your EPC rating this Big Energy Savings Week

Implementing just a few of these outlined steps could have a big impact on your property's EPC rating and help to make your business more carbon-friendly.