Homeowners who are deeply interested in making their properties more energy-efficient are always exploring different ways that can save money on energy bills and reduce carbon emissions. In this post, you will find helpful ideas and recommendations on how you can lower energy usage and improve the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of your home or even your rental property.
Getting to Know the EPC Rating:
The Energy Performance Certificate is a standardised assessment of a property’s energy performance which ranges from A (the most efficient) to G (the least efficient). It is a document that contains data on the energy sources and the potential running costs of a building. The factors that are considered in the rating are directly related to the methods used to improve insulation, heating, and application of renewable energy sources.
The Benefit of Enhancing Your EPC Rating:
You will enjoy the following benefits if you increase the EPC rating of your property:
- Lower energy expenses
- Decreases carbon footprint
- Raises property value
- Better and warmer indoor climate
- Helps landlords to comply with regulations
Ways to Improve EPC Rating:
1. Solar Panels
Installing solar panels is one of the most effective ways for a homeowner to increase the EPC rating of a property. The panels are solar cells that use the sun’s power to produce energy, which is then converted into electricity for home use. Solar panels are a great investment when it comes to generating savings on energy bills and they also boost your property’s EPC rating.
Despite the underlying benefits, solar panels can be considered a huge investment, the size of which can initially put some people off. In the UK, a common solar installation would be a solar system with a capacity of 3.5 kWp (kilowatt-peak). This would typically require 10 panels to support a medium sized house aggregating to the total cost of around £7,000 – not an inconsiderable for most low income families. Thankfully, various types of solar panel grants may be available so check eligibility with Zoa Eco Grants. This potentially covers solar panel grants for pensioners, disabled people, and schools.
2. Heat Pumps
While not suitable for every property, especially for poorly uninsulated properties or when space is particularly limited, they can be a great option for many wanting to improve energy efficiency and ultimately their EPC. The pumps extract heat from the air, ground, or water and use it to warm a property at a high efficiency. There are air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, and water source heat pumps among the three main types of heat pump systems.
i). Air Source Heat Pumps
Air source heat pumps are one of the best ways to go when it comes to reducing your carbon footprint and saving energy costs compared to the traditional fossil fuel heating systems. They extract heat from outside and this is condensed to to generate the required heat and hot water for the home. It can operate at extreme temperatures, with efficiency even during the times when it is as low as -15°C.
ii). Ground Source Heat Pumps
When it comes to ground-source heat pumps, location and the availability of space is key as the ground loops that carry the heat have to be excavated and buried in your property grounds. Ground heat pumps are less affected by seasonal variations in temperatures as this remains relatively consistent below ground year-round. While they can be costly to buy, ground source heat pumps have very high efficiency levels, usually higher than 300%. You can apply to the heat pumps grant scheme to check your eligibility for a grant.
All types of heat pumps mentioned above can have the desirable effect of raising your EPC rating along with a marked decrease in your energy consumption. But that too comes at a higher cost than a standard gas boiler installation, especially if considerable work is required for the installation. Just like solar panel grants, air source heat pump grants and ground source heat pump grants could be available to those eligible. Check with Zoa Eco Grants if you qualify.
3. Insulation
Insulation is vital for energy efficiency and to bring assured levels of comfort in the home as well as keeping heating bills in check. There are different areas that can be improved to provide better insulation and often markedly improve EPC rating:
i) Loft Insulation
Loft insulation is placed in the loft space, essentially the area between a building’s roof and top floor ceiling. It reduces heat loss from the living area underneath it. Insulating a loft is perhaps one of the most cost-effective ways of boosting a home’s EPC and it can save households up to 25% of your heating expense. This aggregates to a saving of up to £380 a year on bill savings for a previously uninsulated detached property. It is advised as a minimum requirement to put a layer of insulation at least 270mm thick in the loft space.
ii) Cavity Wall Insulation
For properties that have cavity walls — usually those built after the 1920s — it is recommended to have these cavities filled with insulation in order to make them more energy efficient. Cavity wall construction took over as the preferred method to solid walls for homes built after the 1920s because it is cheaper and better for heat retention when insulated compared to the solid walls.
iii) Floor Insulation
Insulating your ground floor can be a good plan for the purpose of boosting EPC. For those who want to lose less heat and feel greater comfort in the home, this type of insulation can make a significant difference, especially given that around 15% of heat loss from the home can be through the floors.
iv) Improve Glazing
Double or triple glazing can extensively reduce heat loss and can very quickly impact on issues that are causing poor EPC ratings. Changing from old single-glazed windows, or upgrading your existing but old double glazing, can make a big difference to energy bills. If you cannot change the glass in all windows, perhaps because you live in a period property where there are restrictions, opt for secondary glazing as a more economical solution.
v) Upgrade Your Boiler
If your current boiler is old and inefficient, replacing it with a new modern and energy-efficient one could bring you a significant improvement in the EPC rating of your property. The most efficient type is the A-rated condensing boiler, which converts over 90% of the fuel into heat.
Try to add a modern boiler and smart heating controls, which will help you to reduce your heating bills by around 30%. The new boiler uses much less energy and with the help of some modern devices you can save money. With an average cost of £500 to £3,500 for installation of a new boiler, it can be costly, but there are grants available to some eligible households to upgrade a boiler.
vi) LED Lighting
Switching to light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs might be perceived as a very small step but actually can bring some quite evident and significant improvement in the EPC rating. LED is much better than traditional bulbs; it uses a lesser amount of energy (up to 90% less than incandescent) and has a life that is multiple times longer. Replacing LEDs in place of incandescent light bulbs in your rooms will get you a substantial electrical bill deduction.
vii) Draught-proofing
One of the easiest and cheapest ways of making your home energy efficient is to minimise escape of energy in your property. By sealing holes and gaps adjacent to windows and doors, loft hatches and elsewhere with foam strips, brush strips, or silicon, can make a big difference to heat retention.
Financing Your Energy Efficiency Improvements:
Gains arising from many of these improvements are important, however; the related costs in the beginning are in some cases high. Nevertheless, there are many schemes and funds to help cover all or some of the cost, check out some of them:
- Grant funding for measures like heat pumps and solar – see if you are eligible.
- Free boiler grants for those who are eligible.
- Loft insulation grants and other insulation funding to lower consumption through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).
- A subsidised home energy loan if you have low income to optimise these energy efficient changes at your home.
You should check with the local council or energy company in your area for more details on the support you may be entitled to.
Conclusion
Making your home more EPC efficient has benefits, not only in terms of bills savings, but also in terms of boosting the value of your home. Some of the measures can be cheap and easy to implement, while others require a significant investment.
With a desire for households to reduce their energy consumption, bills and carbon footprints, there are incentives to improve your EPC and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Remember though every property is different, and the most suitable improvement will depend on the individual characteristics of your house and your budget. It is recommended to consult an energy expert like Eco Grants who can provide a personalised solution for improving your EPC rating and your home.