Homeowners urged not to wait for estate agent to discover their EPC rating

Homeowners are being urged to check the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of their property before they come to sell their home.

It comes as research found 21% of homeowners only discover their property’s EPC rating when their estate agent arranges it as part of the selling process.

With the cost of energy bills at record highs, Mortgage Advice Bureau has suggested that homeowners could lower their bills and boost their property value by finding out their EPC rating and making relevant energy efficiency changes before listing their home for sale.

The mortgage broker’s research found only 27% currently know what their home’s EPC rating is. 

Ben Thompson, deputy chief executive at Mortgage Advice Bureau, said this needs to change.

He said: “We need to get to the stage where most homeowners know what their energy rating is. 

“Particularly with energy prices so high, people want to know how their home stacks up when it comes to retaining heat and what a good rating is. It is also important that people fully understand the benefits of retrofitting and why doing so could help you both short and long term.

“A good EPC rating is clearly in demand, and with good reason. Even if you aren’t planning on selling, I’d recommend finding out what your EPC rating is and looking into what fixes you could make to improve it. There are a range of ways to improve an EPC rating, from expensive retrofitting of modern windows, wall insulation and loft insulation to relatively cheap fixes such as energy efficient LED lighting. 

“All changes will help when it comes to cutting the cost of your energy bill, and will also help when time comes to move onto another property.”