The tool will provide homeowners a tailored picture of energy efficient improvements
Halifax Intermediaries has partnered with non-profit organisation Energy Saving Trust to develop a Home Energy Saving Tool, which will help identify the types of energy efficient improvements that can be made on specific properties.
Halifax said the tool will show how much these improvements might cost, how this could improve a property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating, how much this could reduce the homeowner’s energy bills, and how much money they could save in the long term.
By answering a few simple questions about a property, the tool provides a personalised action plan with estimates of the EPC rating, energy costs, and CO2 emissions. The client can answer as many or as few of the questions as they like, but the more questions answered about the property, the more accurate and defined the action plan and estimated EPC will be.
Read more: The push to hit EPC rating ‘C’ – who will pay the price?
The tool can be found on the Halifax Intermediaries website by going to the ‘Tools and calculators’ page. It is designed so brokers can use this in conversation with their customers, but the customers can also use the tool themselves.
The UK government has committed to making the UK carbon neutral by 2050. This means that for all CO2 produced in the UK each year, the same amount will be cancelled out by energy saving measures. With homes making up 20% of the UK’s total carbon emissions and low customer awareness, Halifax stressed the need for everyone to play their part in reaching these targets.
Read more: UK housing and net zero – why Britain is in a tough spot
“With energy prices rising at such a rapid rate, lots of people will be looking at what improvements they can make to offset the increasing costs of keeping their home warm,” Amanda Fenner, head of Halifax Intermediaries and Scottish Widows Bank, said. “Brokers can now use the Home Energy Savings Tool to give homeowners a tailored picture of the improvements they can make, and which of them will be most cost effective.”
