Guide to EPC ratings
If you are buying a new house or flat, the seller will need to provide you with an EPC. With energy efficiency and green mortgages gaining popularity, the EPC rating for properties is going to become increasingly important. With this in mind, Adam Nanson from impartial mortgage broker Your Mortgage Expert give his Guide to EPC ratings. And, why its important for buyers to pay close attention to the energy efficiency of their potential purchase.
What is an EPC rating
An energy performance certificate is also known as an EPC. It shows home owners, landlords and renters how energy efficient a property is. It gives the property an overall rating which is rated from A to E with A being the most energy efficient.
An EPC will also offer some practical suggestions on making the property more energy efficient. This can be with simple measures like energy efficient light bulbs to more extensive home improvements such as cavity wall insulation and double glazing. The EPC will also give some guides as to home much these measures will cost and how much you could potentially save on energy bills.
If your property has a current EPC then you can find it on the Government’s website for EPCs here: https://www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate.
Does the EPC rating matter to home buyers?
With the cost of living crisis and spiralling electric and gas prices, it is understandable that people would increasingly want more energy efficient homes. As a result a recent survey found that 80% of home buyers said the energy efficiency of their next home purchase is more important to them than it was a year ago due to rising energy prices.
Added to that, the research also found that improving your EPC rating could increase your home’s value by up to 20%*.
The research found that:
- Moving from an EPC D rating to a C rating added an additional 3% to their value
- Moving from an EPC rating E to C saw an average price increase of nearly 9%
- Improving your EPC from an F or G to a C could add 19.6% in value
As a result, a higher EPC rating could mean your house is worth more and could be more attractive to new buyers.
Does an EPC rating matter to landlords?
The Government hopes to change regulation in order to make homes more energy efficient as part of their target for net zero by 2050.
The current rules for landlords is that they are unable to create a new tenancy agreement without an EPC rating of E or above.
Without an EPC rated E or above, landlords face civil and criminal penalties for signing a new tenancy, or renewing an existing tenancy, from 1st April 2018. There are fines of up to £5,000 per property for landlords that are found in breach of the legislation.
Added to this, the Government want all rental properties to have an EPC rating of ‘C’ or above by 2028. The penalty for not having a valid EPC will also be raised from £5,000 to £30,000 from 2028**.
All of which means that, moving forward, it will be increasingly important for properties to have higher EPC ratings. Especially those suitable for buy to let investment.
Can I get a Green Mortgage to help?
Many lenders now offer mortgages which are designed to encourage you to make your home more energy efficient.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of Green Mortgage. Green Mortgages that reward you for carrying out home improvements that make your home more “green”. And, Green Mortgages that offer you rewards for having an energy-efficient home.
If you are interested in looking at a Green Mortgage, it would be prudent to seek Green Mortgage Advice from an impartial mortgage broker like Your Mortgage Expert.
Not all the lenders offer Green Mortgages. And, there might be some circumstances where a standard mortgage might offer you a lower rate or a more suitable overall deal.
We can compare the Green Mortgages from across the market against the other mortgage available to advise on which mortgage is suitable based on your circumstances.
Your Mortgage Expert is a highly rated, family run mortgage broker based in Salisbury. But we can help you no matter where you live in the UK. Our highly experienced team understands about Green Mortgages and how they work. We can also put you in touch with our local business partners to help you with your application. We can recommend solicitors, estate agents, removal companies and more.
For further information or to speak to us about anything you have read in our Guide to EPC ratings, please get in touch.
There is no guarantee that it will be possible to arrange continuous letting of the property, nor that rental income will be sufficient to meet the cost of the mortgage.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend upon your circumstances. The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.
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