From the 1st April 2018 new regulations come into force that requires landlords of privately rented domestic and non-domestic property in England or Wales to ensure that their properties reach at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E before granting a new tenancy to new or existing tenants. 

These requirements will then apply to all private rented properties in England and Wales – even where there has been no change in tenancy arrangements – from 1 April 2020 for domestic properties, and from 1 April 2023 for non-domestic properties.

So, what are the best ways to improve the EPC rating of a property?

Lighting: Replace existing halogen or non-low Energy Lighting with LELs (low energy lighting), Fluorescent Light’s (CFL) or Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) – these are simple and inexpensive to introduce.

Roof Insulation: Make sure that your insulation is at least 270mm in depth. Funding is available if the current depth is less than 90mm

Cavity Wall Insulation: If your property has cavity walls, fill them with insulation. Funding is also available to help offset the cost.

Heating Controls: Introducing room thermostats, individual Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) and a boiler programmer will help improve your EPC. Even if these are applied to an old boiler.

Central Heating System: Replacing an old, inefficient boiler is more expensive than the measures above, with a longer payback period, but will have a significant impact on your properties EPC.

Secondary Heating Source: Installing a wood burning stove scores highly on EPC ratings and they are eco-friendly.

Renewable Technologies: There are a wide range of systems and technologies available that can improve the energy efficiency of your property by 20X or more.  Consider solar / Photovoltaic panels, Bio-Mass boilers and Ground Source Heat pumps to replace conventional central heating systems. Most renewable energy systems are incentivised by Government backed Guaranteed Feed-in-Tarfiffs (FITs), leading to significantly lower energy costs in relation to other systems.