Making your home more energy efficient is the best way to save energy (and money...and the planet) as a homeowner.
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How a higher EPC rating boosts your home's value
How to generate your own green energy
Improve EPC rating with better windows
A list of energy efficiency grants for homeowners
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.
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.
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!
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%!
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.
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.
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)
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Like solar panels, a wind turbine at home can cut your electricity bills and reduce your carbon footprint.
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.
(EV = electric vehicle)
Even if you don't have an electric vehicle, you can get funding to install a charge port at home.
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!
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 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:
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.
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.
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:
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!