The government is continuously striving to ensure that homes become more environmentally friendly in the UK. One way the government has been able to do this is through Energy Performance Ratings (EPC). Each property is given an EPC which gives the property an energy efficiency rating that ranges from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and provides information about a property’s energy use and energy costs.  

What are some of the changes to EPCs? 

In the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy, the government set out goals for homes in the UK to reach at least an EPC Band C rating by 2035 to be deemed “practical, cost-effective and affordable.”  

 
In September 2020, the government launched its ‘Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes’ consultation which led to feedback based on how to raise the energy performance standard to EPC Band C, using a phased trajectory to improve?new tenancies from 2025?and?all tenancies from 2028 and introducing a ‘fabric first’ approach to energy performance improvements.  

 
The need for incentives:

To raise EPC standards effectively, it is important to provide financial incentives, for example, providing property owners with grants to make energy efficiency improvements. Property owners could also be offered free ‘Energy Performance Certificate plus’ reports for up to ten properties they own if they own a mortgage account with Skipton Building Society. This report aims to provide a more in-depth report than a traditional EPC report, providing an idea of what a home’s potential EPC rating could be and guidance for how property owners could achieve it.  

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