Many homeowners and home movers are seeking a higher Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating because they know that it leads to lower monthly bills. By doing this, it also increases your home’s value significantly. Improving the EPC rating of your home from D to C could see an increase in value of 3%, from E to C a 7% increase, and from F to C  could increase your property’s value by an average of an additional 15%.*

What is an EPC rating?
An Energy Performance Certificate measures the energy efficiency of your home and is graded from A to G. A is the highest or most energy efficient, while G is the least energy efficient.

How do I get an EPC?
You will need an accredited assessor, which you can find online on the GOV.UK website. They will assess each part of your home’s energy efficiency, such as lighting, insulation, and the potential for heat loss, and then calculate the overall rating of your home by adding the various scores to get an average overall score.

Climate change
With rising sea levels and the increased frequency of bad weather, insurance companies have been hit with a larger number of claims. Climate change makes the weather less predictable, and more claims can lead to higher premiums. Calculating risk, an already complex process, becomes even more so. The agricultural sector has also suffered, as have transport companies. Wildfires are also becoming more frequent, causing damage running into millions of pounds.

How do you improve your home’s EPC rating?

• Energy-efficient lighting
  Simply using more energy-efficient lighting can reduce the energy consumption of your home. LED bulbs may cost a little more, but they last so much longer than old-fashioned lightbulbs and use a fraction of the energy.
• Double glazing
  Triple glazing is even better. Your home can trap a lot of heat throughout the day as the winter sun shines through your windows. The heat you create from your heating system is then trapped inside your home.
• Better insulation
  Insulating your attic or walls also helps to stop the heat in your home from escaping. This means you will not have to keep your boiler running quite as much to heat your home, saving you on costs.
• Install a heat pump
  Replacing your boiler with a more energy-efficient system can add a lot of points to your score. It could be that you have relatively recently replaced it but neglected to get your rating upgraded. You could also install a heat pump. In October, the government increased its grant for the installation of heat pumps to £7,500.**
• Solar panels
  You could reduce your carbon footprint with a renewable energy source by installing solar panels. Large energy suppliers will install these in your home. With finance packages available and the opportunity to sell surplus electricity back to the grid, it’s worth considering.

With the cold snap of winter at our heels and Christmas coming up, you want to save money on your energy bills where you can. One of the best ways to do this is to change your energy supplier. It may surprise you to know that if you are renting your home, you are perfectly entitled to do this if you pay the bills directly.

Can your landlord charge you for energy?
Your landlord can’t charge you what they want for energy. There is a maximum resale price that landlords must adhere to. As a tenant, you should be charged the domestic rate per unit plus standing charges. Your gas or electric meter will record your usage and be the basis on which you will be charged, and that’s per unit.

Are you responsible for repairs?
When it comes to boilers, radiators, or your home’s fuse box, your landlord is responsible for repairs and maintenance. You or your landlord may be responsible for appliances, and the energy efficiency of your home largely depends on the specified energy rating awarded to them.

Energy Performance Certificates
Energy Performance Certificates will tell you how energy efficient your home is and give it a rating between A and G. A being the most energy efficient while G is the least energy efficient. If you rent through a letting agent, they will ensure this is taken care of before the property is available to rent. If you or your landlord add energy-efficient appliances, then this will improve your home’s energy rating.

Comparing energy supplier prices
Using a comparison website is a good way to find a cheaper alternative and could lead to cheaper energy bills. Listening out for a special offer or simply getting a few quotes could save you money.

How to switch energy suppliers
If you are considering changing your energy supplier, it’s important to check your previous bills. Comparison sites have an estimation tool. So, if you find out your usage from previous bills, you can get an accurate estimation to see how much you could save. Then get some more quotes and decide which energy supplier you want to choose. Remember to check with your landlord or letting agent. Once you have done this, it is a good idea to check your account balance with your old supplier. They could owe you money.

The benefits
The high cost of living still creates challenges, this forces us to reexamine how much we spend. It’s no secret that rents are rising. But the right energy-saving strategies, combined with the benefits of living in a good property, allow you to enjoy your home while refocusing your budget. Whether that's by cooking great fresh food, entertaining your friends, or enjoying energy-efficient, cosy, nights in.

Home is not just a collection of bricks and mortar, it’s a place that evokes and witnesses a lot of emotion, and this makes it unique amongst all our worldly possessions. The ability to contain our lives and those things that belong to us, such as paintings, memories, and feelings ushered in by the colour schemes of its interior, are some of home’s many special powers. The impact of the location of your home and its surroundings, for an eternity of reasons, from the beautiful countryside to friends, family, or love for a location, is profound.

Excitement
There are few things in life more exciting than moving to a new home. The list of reasons why you are so excited is uniquely yours, and your perfect property will reflect this. From the way you decorate it, to the stuff you own, that tells the story of your life. Your home should make you feel welcome from the moment you see it. Maybe you adore your new kitchen for a thousand reasons, including how it makes you feel. It’s character, the view of the garden, or its modern design.

Desire
This innate human emotion moves us all to act, and finding a home you really want will fill you with the desire to own it. If you view a property and you really like everything about it, and feel that you can improve it, by adding your own creativity, then the chances are you will want to make an offer. Buying the property that adds so much to the quality of your life opens the gateway to so many more positive emotions.

Love
Making the perfect home for your loved ones is one of the most powerful and greatest feelings in the world. Are you in the lucky position of buying a home for a relative to keep them safe or moving to the house for your family to grow? Sharing our lives with a partner in the right home is blissful and intoxicating, and the right property adds to this more than most people realize. You should also love your home; from the little characterful details to the fundamentals, good homes have a built-in power to inspire love.

Happiness
Homes have the uncanny ability to make us feel happy, and they can do this in so many ways. If you feel you have enough space and love the way your home looks and feels, then you are well on your way to creating happy lives within it. Happy memories are priceless, and when you get down to the basics of life, there is not much else that matters quite as much. There is a lot to think about when finding your happy place, from your home’s location to its energy efficiency.

Safety and security
You want to feel safe, secure and satisfied that your home is a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the world outside. Relaxation is vital to keep you stress-free so you can think and plan your life clearly. This will allow you to enjoy those special moments that become enhanced by the features of a great home. From a mesmerising outdoor living space to relax in, a cosy fireplace, or a nicely decorated home that makes you feel good.

Discontentment
This can be as powerful as many positive emotions. If you are currently living in a home where you feel trapped because you are tripping over things, that is enough to make you want to move! Maybe it’s time to buy your first home because it’s you who is getting in the way, and you want to enjoy a greater feeling of independence! Are you moving to a better area or a home with a better garden? Maybe you need more bedrooms or have too many and want to buy something smaller.

Do you want a property that makes you feel amazing? Get in touch today.