Britain’s houses are some of the oldest and coldest in Europe and the cost of heat that leaks from properties is leading to a rise in fuel poverty. Everest offers its advice for installers to pass onto homeowners
- Replacing an old boiler
An EPC rating is calculated on the cost of energy that supplies the heating system. As heating is a considerable chunk of energy costs at 55% this is where significant saving and improvements to bills and EPC ratings can be made.
By replacing an old boiler that has an appliance rating of G with a new A-rated boiler that includes a programmer and thermostat, an annual saving of £305 can be made based on a detached house.
- Insulation
A quarter of household heat is lost through the roof. Loft insulation is easy to install and a relatively inexpensive place to start when improving the energy efficiency of your home. The recommendation of rock wool is 270mm minimum depth.
If the house is suitable for cavity wall insulation you can expect a considerable retention of the third of heat lost through uninsulated walls.
- Replacing windows for double glazing
Older windows can be responsible for 40% of the heat loss in homes. Installing high performance glazing will make a significant difference to the energy efficiency of a home.
- Replace halogen spotlights with LED bulbs
Since 2018, halogen bulbs are being phased out and removed from sale across Europe.
An LED spotlight can last for 20-30 years in comparison to a halogen bulb that has a working life of only two years. By swapping ten halogen bulbs for LED bulbs, savings of £112 a year can be made over a long-term period.
Installing LED bulbs in all lamps and lighting fixtures is a cheap and easy way to marginally improve EPC ratings.
- Installing renewable energy sources
If the home has implemented all other energy efficiency measures then installing solar panels, biomass boilers and ground-source heat pumps will dramatically increase an EPC rating.
To achieve the highest EPC ratings a property would require some form of renewable energy.
By installing solar panels a G-rated, semi-detached house could make a saving of £311 per year, Everest added.