The ‘name and shame’ article about England’s worst performing areas for domestic energy efficiency on the Glass & Glazing Products Magazine website in February made interesting reading.
The article reported a survey of over 25,000 homes conducted by Eurocell to discover how English houses performed against average Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) scores. EPC certificates rank homes in seven tiers denoting their energy efficiency, from A, the highest, to G, the lowest.
Shockingly, only 0.3% of the surveyed houses achieved Band A, with 56% scoring D or lower, putting them as having ‘below-average energy efficiency’. Ouch. The article then went on to list the worst performing areas of England by local authority, and we were biting our nails to see if any Leicestershire names came up.
The closest areas we could see were Broxtowe Borough (Notts), which scored a dismal 66.8% of homes falling in bands D to G, and the Derbyshire Dales (66.7%), as well as a few names in Lincolnshire. Good news in a sense for Leicestershire residents, although not so much for the people who live in the other areas. And the worst place in England to live for energy efficient homes? The Isles of Scilly apparently, with 84.9% of surveyed properties underperforming in the efficiency stakes.
Why Does Your Epc Matter?
Energy performance matters because the EPC directly reflects how energy efficient a property is; in other words, how well it retains heat and how much utility bills are likely to cost. Less efficient homes cost more to keep warm, which at a time of high gas bills, is extremely unwelcome news for homeowners.
It’s even worse news if you’re planning to move house.
The Glass & Glazing article also reported a study by Oxford Economics from late 2024 that found that houses rated F and G sold for up to 7.4% less than D-rated properties.
So, taking the average house price in the East Midlands of £250,000 in September 2024, poor energy efficiency could cost a homeowner £18,500 off their asking price. Eighteen thousand in lost equity, on top of a lifetime of needlessly inflated gas bills. Ouch indeed.
The results of the survey are particularly shocking because improving the EPC band of a home is actually surprisingly easy.
If your home has poor energy efficiency, the most cost-effective way of resolving the problem is to invest in new double or triple glazed windows. Consisting of two or three panes of glass with a layer of inert gas or air in between, these windows immediately improve the way that the house retains heat, reducing heat loss through the windows and keep it warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
By improving your thermal efficiency, your central heating has to work less hard and consume less gas in order to keep the home comfortable, leading to lower energy consumption, a smaller carbon footprint, and slimmer utility bills. This could positively affect your EPC rating, which as we’ve seen, can improve the value of your property with even a modest change.
How Much Will New Double Glazing Cost You?
Depending on the type of windows you want and the size of your property, new energy efficient windows will cost you from £3000-£10,000 or so. For a three-bedroom house with 8-10 windows, and entry-level UPVC double glazed windows, the cost could be as low as £3000, with costs increasing for larger properties, triple glazing, and special features such as tinted glass or noise reduction. This is significantly less than the £18.5 K you potentially stand to lose by not doing anything about poor energy efficiency.
Get In Touch To Find Out More
The spring and summer are, traditionally, quiet times for window installers, so this is the perfect time of year to make a positive investment in your home. By upgrading to newer, more energy-efficient windows, you’ll immediately see the difference next winter in terms of how warm and comfortable your home is, and also get more money for your property when you come to sell.
To find out more, please contact one of the experienced team at Harveys today by clicking here.
