Landlords Should Consider EPC Improvements

(Posted on 06/07/21)

The summer is a great time to make home improvements, particularly when it comes to energy-efficiency improvements. Having these changes in place before winter rolls around provides an immediate boost for tenants, and this means landlords benefit as well.

At Ashton & Grosvenor, we are pleased to say we have assisted many local landlords in pleasing their tenants. If you are looking for guidance in the rental market, get in touch, and we will be more than happy to assist you.

Property portal study considers EPCs in rental market

The Rightmove study looked at 15 million homes across England and Wales, and found:

• 59% of properties hold a D, E, F or G rating

• The potential to reduce this percentage to 11% if recommended improvements are followed

• Up to 11 million homes in England and Wales don’t have an EPC rating

Rightmove have also provided a number of ways for landlords to boost their EPC rating, and some of these options are affordable.

• Install solar panels – While this is the most commonly recommended step, it is expensive, and will run into thousands of pounds

• Switching to low energy lighting – This is also a highly recommended option, but is far more affordable, the average cost is less than £40

• Insulating the hot water cylinder is a sensible option, and can be arranged at around £20

• Draught-proofing single glaze windows costs around £100

• Adding or improving loft insulation is sensible, and the average cost is £223

• Upgrading your heating control is sensible, but more expensive, with an average cost of £400

Affordable changes can make a big difference

Rightmove’s director of property data Tim Bannister says: “It’s encouraging to see that there are some energy efficiency improvements that can cost less than £100, so it’s definitely worth checking your EPC if your home has one to see if there are small changes you could make to try and improve your rating. The bigger challenge is for those homes with much lower ratings that will cost a substantial amount of money to improve. There are a number of homeowners who don’t feel an urgent need to make changes now unless it makes a big difference to the cost of their household bills or if it’s going to make their home more attractive to a potential buyer if they’re planning to sell.”

Tim concluded by saying; “It’s early days with some lenders now starting to introduce green mortgages as incentives, but homeowners need to be better informed that how green your home is will become increasingly important as we aim to move towards a net zero society, and they need more help to understand why making improvements are so important for the long term.”

We offer a range of property and letting services to landlords in Chester, including tailored options which ensure you receive the best support at all times. If you would like to arrange an appointment to help you negotiate the local property or buy-to-let market, please contact Ashton & Grosvenor today by calling us on 01244 318 115 or emailing us at hello@ashtonandgrosvenor.co.uk.