Making your home more energy efficient is the best way to save energy (and money...and the planet) as a homeowner.
- Smaller energy bills can save you thousands over the years.
- Some home improvements increase you property's value, making you money.
- You might be able to get government support to make energy efficiency more affordable.
- And you could always make energy bills even less of a worry with an Unlimited Energy bills package. (It really is unlimited. Promise.)
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How a higher EPC rating boosts your home's value
- Cavity wall insulation
- Solid Wall insulation
- Roof and loft insulation
- Ground floor insulation
- Can I get funding to insulate my home?
How to generate your own green energy
Improve EPC rating with better windows
A list of energy efficiency grants for homeowners
Can a higher EPC rating really increase the value of my home?
Yes! Increasing a property's EPC rating from F or G to a C can increase its value by almost a fifth (19.6%). Even improving the EPC rating by one band increase its value by 3%. That's more than £9000 based on average UK property prices, according to property experts Knight Frank.
Not only that, 60% of UK estate agents believe that homes with higher EPC ratings are holding their value in the housing market, which is more good news for your future plans to sell.
What is an EPC rating?
EPC stands for Energy Performance Certificate. You need one by law when buying, selling or letting properties in the UK. The certificate lists information about a property's energy use, and its average energy costs.
The highest EPC rating is A, and the lowest is G.
Before being sold or rented, properties are assessed and given points based on their energy efficiency, with a maximum rating of 100. A property with an EPC rating of A has gained 92-100 points during an energy assessment, and a property of G got between 0-20 points. Points are awarded based on the property's lighting, windows, heating and loft insulation.
Your property's EPC will also include details of it can be more energy efficient, making an EPC a useful ally in your efforts to boost your property's value.
The environmental benefits of saving energy
Everybody knows this, but it's worth emphasising! 86.5% of UK adults have made some changes to their lifestyle to help the environment, so there's a good chance you're interested in more than just your energy bills when it comes to an energy efficient home.- The energy we use at home creates carbon emissions.
- Most homes in the UK have a mains gas supply. Gas is a fossil fuel, so carbon emissions are generated every time you use gas heating or hot water.
- A more energy efficient home means you need less gas energy to stay warm, which means fewer carbon emissions!
- Note: We know that big corporations are the biggest culprit for carbon emissions, but a collective effort to reduce domestic demand for fossil fuels will still have an impact.
- Electricity from some suppliers is also produced by burning fossil fuels.
- There are green or clean sources of electricity, and some energy suppliers like Octopus and Rebel energy only offer green electricity.
- Reducing your electricity use if you're with non-green suppliers will also reduce your environmental impact.
- The more people with green suppliers, the greater the supply of green energy to the national grid, reducing everybody's carbon emissions.
- Most homes in the UK have a mains gas supply. Gas is a fossil fuel, so carbon emissions are generated every time you use gas heating or hot water.
How to invest in your home's energy efficiency
A quick guide to insulating your home
Some insulation types can keep 33% more heat in your home, which means 33% smaller heating bills! This is a drastic cost saving with just one key investment!
Cavity wall insulation:
Most houses built after around 1920 have cavity walls.
Not surprisingly, cavity wall insulation goes in the wall cavity to prevent heat loss. About a third of heat lost in uninsulated homes is lost through the walls, according to the Energy Saving Trust. This one step could decrease your home's heat loss by about 33%!
Cavity wall insulation cost breakdown:
- Costs: about £2700
- Saves: £280 a year in energy bills
- Pays for itself in: Less than 10 years in energy bills alone. Gains from increased property value could be higher!
Costs/savings from the Energy Saving Trust, based on a three-bed semi-detached house in England or Wales.
Most houses built since around the year 2000 are already insulated. Your local authority or a registered installer will be able to confirm this for you.
Solid wall insulation:
Insulating solid walls is more expensive than insulating cavity walls, but will also save you more money.
Fortunately unless you're buying a property that's more than 100 years old, you probably don't need to worry. Most buildings since the 20s have been constructed with cavity walls. And if you do have solid walls, your, local authority might have financial support available too.
Solid wall insulation cost breakdown:
Costs: £12,000 for external wall, £7,500 for internal wall
Saves: £380 a year
Pays for itself in: 19 years (Internal wall)
Costs/savings from the Energy Saving Trust, based on a three-bed semi-detached house in England/Wales)
Roof and loft insulation:
About 25% of heat lost in an uninsulated home is lost through the roof. This type of insulation lasts around 40 years, and is well worth the investment for a more valuable property and reduced energy bills.
Roof and Loft Insulation cost breakdown:
Costs: £930 (270mm loft insulation)
Saves: £270 a year
Pays for itself in: 4 years!
Costs/savings from the Energy Saving Trust, based on a three-bed semi-detached house in England/Wales)
Ground floor insulation:
Newer homes tend to have a concrete ground floor, which doesn't need insulation, but older homes with wooden flooring can save around £80 a year* just by insulating these floorboards to reduce heat loss and draughts. Any floors above garages or other unheated spaces should also be insulated to reduce heat loss.
*In England Scotland and Wales
Draught proofing: Draught proofing is the cheapest way to increase your home's energy efficiency and cut your energy bill costs. It basically consists of blocking up gaps where warm air can escape and cold air can get in. Draught-proofed homes are also more comfortable at lower temperatures, so you might be able to turn down your thermostat, leading to even lower bills.
Can I get funding to insulate my home?
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales you might qualify for one of the government's energy-saving schemes. In Northern Ireland you can check out energy saving details here.
- The Great British Insulation scheme offers support based on your EPC rating and household income to insulate your home.
- The Energy Company Obligation could also help you, if you live in private housing and claim certain benefits.
Energy bills get less stresfful when you have an Unlimited Energy deal. Use all the energy you need for one easy fixed monthly payment, like your mobile phone contract.
Generate your own green energy: Install solar panels or wind turbine at home
Installing solar panels at home 🌞
Installing solar panels allow you to generate your own renewable electricity, cutting your electricity bills and reducing your carbon footprint. It can even generate income, because you'll get paid for any excess energy that gets sent to the grid. Can I get funding to install solar panels at home?
Available funding for solar panel installations depends on a few things, including where you live, your household, income. You might be able to get a non-repayable grant, or a green deal loan from the government.
Installing wind turbines at home🌬
Like solar panels, a wind turbine at home can cut your electricity bills and reduce your carbon footprint.
- A pole-mounted wind turbine is installed in an exposed position on your property and generates a maximum of 6kW.
- A building-mounted turbine is smaller can be attached to the roof of your home, if there's enough wind resource. They have a smaller max generation potential of around 2kW.
How do energy meters work if you generate your own power?🧐
Your solar panels or wind turbine will have a meter attached that tracks how much clean energy they've generated. This is compared to your home energy use to determine if you've had to pay for extra energy, or if you've contributed any clean power to the grid. A smart meter will track this for you, or you can take your own manual readings.
Install an EV charge port at home
(EV = electric vehicle)
Even if you don't have an electric vehicle, you can get funding to install a charge port at home.
- An EV charge port which can increase the value of your home by up to £5000, according to the National Association of Property Buyers.
- More than half of potential car buyers are considering an electric vehicle, a figure that has increased each year in recent years, so this is likely to be a sensible investment for years to come.
- Electric Vehicles can increase your energy usage at home, but reduce your environmental impact on the road. You can also get an Unlimited Energy deal with an electric car, so you can make the cost more predictable!
Improve your EPC rating with better windows
Windows have potential to stop a lot of heat loss, and the cost can vary depending on the windows' energy rating, type of glazing, and whether they're in good condition!
Efficient windows
Windows are rated on an energy-rating scale from A++ to E.
The energy-rating scale looks at the frame and the glass to assess things like heat loss, draughts and 'solar gain' to rate windows from most to least energy efficient, with A++ being the best score, which will give the most energy efficiency benefits to your home.
Note: This is not the same as an EPC rating, despite using a similar scale.
FYI: 'Solar gain' refers to how much solar energy is able to enter a building. More solar energy = more heat = lower energy bills
Double and triple glazing
Double and triple glazed windows both work on the same principle, which is layering multiple layers of glass in a frame to create more layers of insulation. Both are much more insulating than old-fashioned, single-glazed windows, and offer better sound insulation too.
Between each of the layer of glass is argon or krypton gas, both of which are denser and more insulating than air.
Triple glazing is more insulating than double glazing, because of the extra layer, so it retains more heat and blocks out more sound. This also means it's heavier, which could cause structural issues in some buildings. It's also more expensive.
Costs: This can vary dramatically depending on the type of glazing and frame you choose. The Energy Saving Trust estimates about:
- £15,000 for A- rated windows for a semi-detached house
- Savings of £165 a year, and 375kg of carbon dioxide per year (vs. single glazing)
- A++ rated would save £180 and 410kg of carbon dioxide (vs. single glazing)
U Rating
Windows will often be labelled with a U Rating, which scores how easily heat passes through the material. This is a good indicated of how insulating a window is, but not the only thing you need to consider. This rating applies only to the glass, not to the frame or how many layers of glass are included.
For example, a double glazed window with a high U rating may allow more heat to escape than a triple glazed window with a lower U rating.
Energy efficiency energy grants for homeowners
Can I get any grants or funding for insulation in the UK?
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales you might qualify for one of the government's energy-saving schemes. In Northern Ireland you can check out energy saving details here.
- The Great British Insulation scheme offers support based on your EPC rating and household income to insulate your home.
- The Energy Company Obligation could also help you, if you live in private housing and claim certain benefits.
- The Scottish Government has details of funding for insulation.
Can I get any grants or funding to upgrade my boiler in the UK?
- The Boiler Upgrade Scheme allows boiler installers in England and Wales to apply for funding to upgrade heating systems to reduce carbon emissions. Get more info on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme from Ofgem.
- In Wales you may be able to get funding from Nest (until the end of March 2024), and a new scheme that starts in April 2024.
- The Scottish Government also has funding for clean heating systems available.
Can I get any energy efficiency funding from my energy supplier?
Yes, maybe! The Energy Company Obligation 4 Scheme (ECO4) is a government scheme that requires energy companies to provide funding to combat fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency in domestic properties.
Properties with an EPC of D-G are covered by ECO4, so if you have an older property you might be able to get some funding! Funding is available for everything including:
- Solar Panels
- Heat Pumps
- Insulation
- Boiler upgrades
Make energy bills easier with Unlimited Energy
An Unlimited Energy deal from One Utility Bill works a bit like an unlimited mobile contract. Use all the energy you need for one, fixed monthly payment. And it's bundle with all your other bills too to make your finances simpler. You can fix your outgoings for the length of your contract, giving you more control!
Other energy-saving resources:
- Debunk some energy efficiency myths
- How to keep the heat in and save energy in winter
- Find some easy ways to save energy at home