It’s no secret that energy prices have risen considerably in the past year. Keeping up with inflated costs has added serious strain to many families across the UK.
There are lots of reasons for this, whether it be the lockdowns, cold winters, or the invasion of Ukraine; energy price increases can be tied to it all. But what about in the home? New research has found that the kind of home you have can greatly affect the cost of your energy.
Every home has Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) that calculates the efficiency of your energy supply. This is done through SAP points (Standard Assessment Procedure). When you have a high EPC rating, your energy is more efficient. The more efficient your energy is, the lower your bills will be.
EPCs are graded as follows:
· A = 92-100 SAP points – most efficient
· B = 81-91 SAP points
· C = 69-80 SAP points
· D = 55-68 SAP points
· E = 39-54 SAP points
· F = 21-38 SAP points
· G = 1-20 SAP points – least efficient
Many things may feel out of our control when it comes to inflated living costs. But this is a price that can be managed and reduced. Improving your home's EPC rating is in your control.
Are you a landlord?
It’s especially important to improve your EPC rating if you are a landlord.
As of this year, it will be a legal requirement for landlords to meet certain EPC scores. If they don't, they risk a hefty fine. All rental properties under your care must have an EPC rating of C or above by 2028. If you’re a new landlord, this rating must be reached by 2025.
This is in an effort to improve property energy efficiency across the UK, and to support the government target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
If a landlord fails to meet this target by 2025 or 2028, they risk a fine that could be as high as £30,000.
How much is your EPC score costing you?
EPC scores are massive indicators for just how much you’re losing or, hopefully, saving.
To put it into perspective, as of October 2022, 3 bed households with A, B, and C EPCs were costing homeowners an average of £2,804 a year on their energy bills. Ds were £3,549, and Gs were £8,500 annually.
Homes in the most efficient A-C bracket were saving an average of £745 (-20%) a year from simply keeping their home energy efficient.
As prices rise, the forecasts for yearly energy costs do too. As-Cs are predicted to reach annual cost of £4,255. For D properties, it’s £5,386, and £12,899 for the Gs.
It’s important to do whatever you can now to cut those costs down as much as possible.
What is it about your property that affects your EPC score.
The build
EPC scores can fluctuate dramatically depending on the style of property you live in. On average, detached, semi-detached, and terraced homes are the least efficient properties in the UK. EPC grades regularly hold a low C to D level with these homes, meaning higher energy bills.
On the flip side, flats and maisonettes usually have a good EPC rating with an average of a C and above.
Is it only flats and maisonettes that have efficient energy supplies? No.
Often, this rests with the age of the property.
Age of property
When your home was built is a big factor in understanding the efficiency of its energy.
Data shows the following about the correlation between property age and its EPC scores:
· Before 1930: D
· 1930-1982: D
· 1983-2011: C
· 2012 onwards: B
By far, homes built before 1930 are the least efficient and most "energy-expensive", with an average of 59 SAP points. It scrapes the D EPC rating. By a stark contrast, the newest homes built from 2012 onwards are the most efficient with SAP points averaging at 83.
These findings might not come as a surprise. The newer the home, the newer the facilities and the more efficient the energy.
So, you want to improve your EPC score. How?
It's not all doom and gloom. You can boost your EPC, even if you own an older property.
There are lots of big and little ways you can change things in your home to shrink your bill, such as switching to energy saving light bulbs, upgrading to a newer boiler, or adding insulation. If you do even a few of these things, it can help you save hundreds of pounds a year on energy.
Find out more about how to cut your energy costs.
Remember, if you don't have an up to date EPC on your property and you need help assessing your EPC score, you should get a quote from an accredited and DBS checked Domestic Energy Assessor.