In a time when energy bills seem to be making headlines regularly, something to think about if you want to save money as well as the planet is the EPC rating of your home. In the UK in particular, we have many older buildings, and these tend to be lacking in the energy efficiency department. Finding out what score your home gets for an EPC rating is a great way to start making changes that could save you a fortune in energy bills, as well as making it a more attractive prospect to buyers if you plan to sell in the future.
EPC stands for Energy Performance Certificate and every home in the UK is required to have one. They are recorded on the EPC register (there is a separate Scottish EPC register in Scotland) and you can get someone to come to your home and assess it which will then give you an EPC score.
An EPC score stays valid for ten years, so once you have your certificate it will need to be renewed in ten years time. If you have made changes to the property since the last time your home had an EPC assessment done that could have had an impact on it, it is a good idea to get your certificate renewed as it may have changed your score.
Some of the changes that you can make to the property that could help to improve your EPC rating include getting your loft insulated, or having old windows replaced by someone like this Cheltenham double glazing company firmfix.co.uk which could then be doing a better job of keeping the heat inside your home where it belongs!
If you want to get a good idea of the things in your home that could be affecting your rating, and get ideas for changes that you could make before you renew your certificate, here are some of the things that you can look for…
Draughts – If you have a draught in your home, look for where it is coming from and think of ways that you can stop it.
Heating – If your boiler is older, then this might mean that it is not as energy efficient as more modern boilers.
Lighting – LED lighting is much more energy efficient so consider where you can replace your lights to improve the efficiency.