EPC Recommendations – Are they worth implementing?

For many people getting an EPC, they are doing so because they are moving home, or looking to rent a property out, and the EPC is a legal requirement in doing so. You could however, use the EPC as an opportunity to see where gains could be made in the efficiency of the property.

Why make the improvements from the EPC?

The obvious reason for making the improvements recommended on the EPC is to benefit from lower energy bills and protect yourself against future energy price increases.

Recommendations on the EPC are going to be eligible for Green Deal finance, so there is help out there to let you make the improvements. Some of the recommendations, like cavity wall and loft insulation, can be done for free under schemes like ECO, so you might as well take advantage while you can.

The savings that are stated are usually fairly accurate – so if you are seeing £200 a year savings on a new boiler, it’s going to be worth installing a new one! Take a look at some of the recommendations and their relative costs. If the payback is good, it is worth looking at quotes and possible avenues of funding.

Does the assessor pick the recommendations on the EPC?

No. The recommendations listed on the report are automatically generated by the software, depending on the house type and the various information entered by the assessor. For instance, if you have an old model of boiler, the software will recommend an upgrade, but if your boiler model is new, it won’t recommend them.

What should I do to get these measures installed?

It’s simple. Give us a call and we will talk you through the best ways to get your property efficient. We might recommend a Green Deal Assessment – where our assessor will talk you through all your options at your property and produce a Green Deal Report, which you will need to claim various funding. This is much more than an EPC, and as a result will require an additional charge. You can find out more about the Green Deal here.