Three steps to improve your EPC rating
The more efficiently you can generate heat and the less chance there is of it escaping, the better the EPC rating
We’ve mentioned EPCs already, but what exactly is an ‘Energy Performance Certificate’? The EPC is a document that confirms the energy efficiency rating of your property, makes recommendations for things you could improve and gives you a rough idea of how much those improvements will cost.
A qualified Domestic Energy Assessor visits your property and reviews various aspects, including:
Size and type of construction
The heating system
Existing wall and loft/roof insulation
Double glazing
Any alternative heating and energy-efficient products in place
They will then calculate the property’s energy efficiency and rate it on a scale from A to G, with A being the most efficient.
The certificate shows the current level of efficiency and the rating that could be achieved if improvements were made. It also includes other important and useful information, including:
A few actions you could take to improve your EPC
A detailed breakdown of each of your property’s current energy performance-related features
How much each measure could improve the property’s energy efficiency rating.
EPCs are valid for 10 years though this period could get shortened under the new proposals. If you can’t find your current EPC, you can search the registers for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
These metrics are likely to be extended when the new assessment process applies some time in 2026, as listed above.
If your property is rated ‘E’, now you will need to make improvements to bring it up to a minimum ‘C’ rating when the new rules apply, by 2030 for existing tenancies and 2028 for new tenancies.
For many landlords, only small changes may be needed to reach an ‘E’ EPC rating. A report published by Parity Projects for the UK Green Building Council suggests that the energy efficiency of a property can often be improved for £2,500 or less.
Your current EPC is a good place to start. It lists the top actions you could take that would make the greatest difference to the property’s energy efficiency and also gives you a detailed breakdown of some recommended measures, costs, savings and the difference that each measure could make to the property’s energy efficiency rating.
Don’t forget though, under the new rating system due in late 2026 the ratings could be different – a “C” under the old system may not be a “C” under the new one. See the new assessment criteria above.
Insulation – is the loft well insulated? Are the walls and underfloor sufficiently insulated?
Windows and doors – are there single, double or triple-glazing and can you feel any draughts?
The heating system – how energy-efficient are the boiler and radiators?
Essentially, the more efficiently you can generate heat to the property and the less chance there is of that heat escaping, the better your EPC rating will be.
And remember, not only could these changes help to improve rents and reduce voids, but they can also add value to your property.
That might give you the option of refinancing and improving your loan to value, which could reduce your mortgage interest rate and monthly payments.
It’s worth knowing too that it’s not just landlords being asked to improve the energy efficiency of their properties – mortgage lenders are being targeted too.
A 2020/21 consultation by the Government looked at how the energy performance of residential properties could be improved through obligations on lenders.
This is leading to lenders offering higher loan to value products, lower fees or even better rates, all to attract more properties onto their books that have EPC ratings of ‘A’ to ‘C’.
Solar panels
Heat pump
Both solar panels and heat pump
Neither but I plan to install one or the other in the next five years
Neither and I have no plans to do so
