Over 60% of properties in England and Wales earned an EPC rating of C or above
Over the past year, 60.2% of homes sold, let, or constructed in England and Wales achieved an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of ‘C’ or above, according to a recent analysis by energy efficiency platform epIMS. This represents a 1.6% increase compared to the previous 12 months.
Covering data from Q4 2023 to Q3 2024, the study underscores growing attention to energy performance from tenants, buyers, and housebuilders. It revealed regional variations, with London leading the way as 64% of properties listed had a rating of ‘C’ or above - the highest proportion in the country. Other regions with notable figures included the North East (61.8%), South East (61.5%), North West (61.5%), and East of England (61.4%).
Yorkshire and Humber saw the most significant annual improvement, with a 3.9% rise in homes achieving a ‘C’ rating or higher, followed by the East Midlands (+2.4%), West Midlands (+1.8%), and East of England (+1.7%). However, the North East experienced no change in its proportion of energy-efficient homes over the same period.
Energy efficiency ratings have become an increasingly important factor for tenants and homebuyers. This focus is expected to intensify after Halifax, one of the UK’s largest mortgage providers, announced plans to include a property’s EPC rating in its mortgage affordability assessments. The decision reflects the influence of utility expenses on household budgets amid rising living costs.
Craig Cooper, chief operating officer of epIMS, highlighted the growing awareness of EPC ratings while addressing some misconceptions about their accuracy. However, he noted that the overall letter grade - ranging from ‘A’ to ‘G’ - does not always provide a complete picture.
“For example, Air Source Heat Pumps are an environmentally friendly way of heating a home, but provide less of a boost to the EPC rating than an efficient traditional gas boiler,” Cooper said, stressing the need to examine the numerical EPC score for a deeper understanding of energy efficiency.
“True understanding of a home’s energy efficiency is only available when you study the EPC score on a much closer level, which means knowing how numerical EPC points accumulate to create the overall letter rating. This is how you get a full picture of a home’s energy efficiency and, more importantly, the steps required to improve it.”
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