The importance of the energy rating of your property when selling your home
Many homeowners considering a house move will need to consider how energy efficient their home is before they sell it, to avoid losing thousands of pounds on the sale price.
Figures from a recent survey by SellingUp.com suggest a home’s energy efficiency rating could be a deal breaker, with over half of potential purchases saying they would drop their offer if the rating was poor.
Up to 16% of buyers said they would pull out completely if the property they were looking to buy was inefficient and 1/3rd said they would reduce their offer by thousands of pounds.
With every home now requiring an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) buyers have transparency on whether a property needs improvements and therefore this will influence their offer. Poorly insulated homes are costly to run and so it is recommended that sellers follow the recommendations in an EPC report to avoid losing out on the sale price.
What can you do to make your home more energy efficient?
Insulate your home – there are simple ways to insulate your home, including your roof and loft, floor, cavity wall, draft proofing, insulating your pipes and radiators and solid wall insulation. Find out more from the Energy Saving Trust
Home Appliances – Switch off appliances on standby and choose appliances wisely, Energy rating certificates will be displayed when you purchase new appliances to help you make energy efficient choices.
Heating & hot water – More than half the money spent on fuel bills goes towards providing heating and hot water. Having a room thermostat, programmer and thermostatic radiator valves installed could save you between £80 and £165 a year. Even turning down your room thermostat by just one degree can save between £85 and £90 a year.
Whatever the age of your boiler the right controls will let you:
– set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need them
– heat only the areas of your home that need heating
– set the temperature for each area of your home
| Type of Heating | Average Efficiency of system |
| An Old Oil Boiler | 60% Efficiency |
| A New Oil Boiler | 90% Efficiency |
| An old Gas Boiler | 60% Efficiency |
| A-rated Condensing Boiler | 90% Efficiency |
| An Air Source Heat Pump | 300% Efficiency |
| A Ground Source Heat Pump | 400% Efficiency |
The above figures, clearly demonstrate the energy efficiency of renewable options like Air and Ground Source Heat Pumps and how they can help reduce your fuel bills. If you are looking to replace your existing heating system then it is worth considering whether a renewable option would be suitable for your home. You can call R A Brown on 01603 898904 for free advice.
