Although a recent study reported that whilst 72% of homeowners believed their homes to be energy efficient, other data shows this belief to be misguided. This shows there is a clear understanding among homeowners about how low the energy efficiency of the majority of homes in the UK is.
In research commissioned by the Skipton Group, two-thirds of 2000 adults polled were unaware of what their EPC (energy performance certificate) rating was.
How home energy efficiency is measured
A home’s EPC is used to determine its energy efficiency. A rating of A (the highest) and G (the lowest) is given. EPCs are legally required when a home is being built, sold or rented. The certificate is valid for 10 years. An EPC also comes with recommendations as to how you can save money by improving the energy efficiency of your home.
A home’s EPC rating is also important in determining its overall value, with homes with a higher EPC rating being worth more than homes with a lower rating. This is also something new buyers care about, with one study reporting that buyers would pay 15% more for a home with an EPC rating of C or higher. A quarter of people surveyed also said that they were worried they wouldn’t be able to sell their house because of its low EPC rating.
The vast majority of people (84%) believe their home has an EPC rating of C or higher, but in reality, 59% are on the lower end of the scale of EPC ratings, being between D and G. Only 50,000 homes have been given the highest possible EPC rating, out of a total of approximately 25 million homes in the UK. That’s only 0.2%.
From 2025 all rentals will need an EPC rating of C or above to rent or sell. Research shows many homeowners are still unaware of the details when it comes to EPC ratings. This means they may not even know there is a problem with energy efficiency that needs to be solved.
Another issue is the fact that 17% of people don’t think EPC ratings can be improved. This means that while they may realise that their homes have low energy efficiency, they believe there is no way to improve the situation. This is not the case.
This leaves many people unnecessarily paying more on their energy bills.
What is fuel poverty?
Fuel poverty is defined as when a household lives in a property with a fuel poverty energy efficiency rating of band D or below, and the leftover income after heating their home puts them below the poverty line.
In 2020, government statistics suggested that 13.2% of all households were in fuel poverty, with this number likely increasing due to the current cost of living crisis. Homeowners who overestimate the energy efficiency of their homes and do nothing to improve them are potentially at risk of falling into fuel poverty.
Quoted by the Independent, Stuart Haire, chief executive of the Skipton Group said, “Our research has revealed a real knowledge gap across homeowners when it comes to understanding the true energy efficiency of their own homes, with many assuming their properties are more energy efficient than they really are.”
“By not understanding the actual energy performance of their homes, it could be costing them hundreds of pounds in wasted energy – when even small changes could make the biggest difference to reducing their bills and improving their homes.”
This problem is being exacerbated by the current cost of living crisis, where households that used to be safe are becoming increasingly worried about their ability to pay bills along with other necessities such as food, water and clothes.
How to improve energy efficiency at home
A solution to this problem is the Government’s ECO4 scheme, which runs until the 31st of March 2026. It is designed to offer support to those on benefits who live in a home with a low EPC rating, helping them to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, save them money on their energy bills, and reduce the risk of fuel poverty.
It is also possible to get access to ECO4 funding even if you are not on benefits through the LA Flex scheme. This is available to households with an income of £31,000 or lower.
The heating upgrades you can get with ECO4 include air source heat pumps, solar panels, first time central heating and electric storage heaters. The additional insulation offered by ECO4 includes cavity wall insulation, cavity wall extraction, solid wall insulation, floor insulation, loft insulation, room in roof insulation and pitched roof insulation.
However, many people who would benefit the most from the scheme are unaware of its existence and therefore continue to struggle amidst the current cost of living crisis when help, such as improved energy efficiency should be available to them and easy to attain.
EnergyHelp aims to solve this problem by helping people eligible for the scheme find the best installer for the heating and insulation upgrades they are entitled to, giving them advice throughout the process on what upgrades would best suit them, to helping after the installation is complete. EnergyHelp aims to help you along every step of the way.
You can find out if you qualify for ECO4 funding in minutes, after which the next steps will be clearly explained to you if you qualify.
EnergyHelp is different to other companies that offer ECO4 support as other companies will want to do the installations themselves. This means that consumers can’t be sure they are getting the best possible deal when they use these websites.
EnergyHelp is solely dedicated to getting you the best deal possible, rather than getting customers to use their own installers.
Do you qualify?
Please complete the form today to check if you qualify for the ECO4 scheme.
If you do, you will be entitled to a personal consultation to determine which ECO4 upgrades are best for you.
Photo by Rodolfo Clix