Since July 2008, to put a house on the market you’ve had to arrange for a Home Information Pack (HIP), containing assorted details about the house, it’s construction, boundary details and planning permission. From April of this year, the HIP must be ready and available by the first day your property goes on the market.
Contained in the HIP is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which potential buyers can use to assess your home’s energy efficiency. Today, we’re giving you some excellent tips on how to give your EPC an adrenalin shot and boost your home’s energy efficiency, and so boost its value.
Even if you aren’t selling your home, improving your home’s energy efficiency makes sense: by combining these tips you could reduce your energy bill by over £300 a year!
Fit or Replace Your Double Glazing.
The Government have downgraded the energy rating of all Pre-2002 double glazing to ‘Average’, whilst the newer units can attain a ‘Good’ or even ‘Excellent’ rating. If your double glazing is starting to get past its best you can increase your home’s overall rating by replacing it with modern energy-efficient units. Making sure your double glazing is up to scratch will also help reduce draughts and noise, making your home a quieter, more peaceful place.
It’s also worth thinking about your window frames, since various window frame makes each carry an energy efficiency rating, and there are a multitude of fittings and finishes available.
The BFRC produce a rating system for windows of A-G, so when shopping for energy-efficient windows, make sure the your provider sells windows with an ‘A’ energy rating, and ask about Low Emission (‘Low-E’) coated panes. Also, look out for the logo of the Energy Saving Trust, who give approval to highly energy-efficient windows
You can find quotes for all kinds of windows and locate window companies using WindowQuoter.co.uk.
Insulate Your Loft and Wall Cavities.
If your walls and loft don’t have appropriate insulation you’ll be losing heat, losing energy, and getting a lower energy performance rating than you should be. Loft and cavity insulation is surprisingly affordable and will save you enough on your fuel bill to make back your costs within 2 years. Thanks to your increased EPC rating you’ll also add value to your home when you sell – probably more than it costs to have the insulation fitted.
A very good time to consider getting your insulation check is when your roof needs repair or replacement, and if yours does, head over to RoofQuoter.co.uk for an instant online quote for roofing work.
Upgrade Your Central Heating System
EPC certificates also look at your boiler and heating control system. If you’ve got an out-of-date combi-boiler you might want to consider replacing that with a more modern and efficient model, but you can also score points for having thermostatic control valves on your radiators, which adjust the temperature of each individual room based on your preferences and allow you greater control over your heating.
Change Your Light Bulbs
Not every energy saving measure needs great expense. Probably the greatest saving you can make on your electricity bill is also the simplest: swap your 100W traditional light bulbs for energy saving alternative bulbs. If your living room has 6 lights which you have filled with 100W bulbs, replacing them all with 20W energy saving bulbs will save you 480W, every hour, without losing any brightness. Even across the life of a standard bulb that’s a huge saving, and coupled with the fact that energy saving bulbs last much longer, it’s an easy decision to make.
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