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Do you ever wonder how energy-efficient a house could be? I am pretty sure that must be when most of you must have encountered an Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC. What is an EPC? This is a report card on the property in terms of its efficiency, graded between A and G. The higher the score, the more excellent the rating. A poor EPC rating will make it slightly more expensive to run and more difficult to sell or let. The most common reason for your lagging EPC score is an old or inefficient boiler. This will be worth a big boost by upgrading to a modern and energy-efficient boiler. Even better news: you may get a new boiler free under the Free Boiler Scheme. In the article below, we discuss how a new boiler could improve your EPC and how you can get it for free with the ECO4 Scheme.
What Is an EPC Rating and Why Does It Matter?
The EPC rating is a way of measuring the energy efficiency of your home and how much energy your house consumes. The scale goes from A to G; A is superior, and G is the worst. This scored classification takes into consideration the energy use in your house for heating, lighting, and hot water, along with the standard of insulation within.
Why does this matter? Well, the better your EPC rating, the lower your energy bills will be, and your home will also be more comfortable, which increases its market worth. By contrast, low EPC ratings could raise energy costs and give you some problems with selling or letting your property.
How Can a New Boiler Help Improve Your Home’s EPC Rating
The heating system is the largest contributor to your energy consumption at home. In fact, heating accounts for around 60% of your household energy use! Therefore, it will play an important role in your EPC rating.
Here’s how this works: EPC ratings are based on specific factors that include heat loss, the efficiency of the heating system, and carbon emissions. New boilers, especially with an ErP ‘A’ rating, are made to turn much more fuel into heat while wasting less energy.
While modern condensing boilers operate at more than 92% efficiency, older boilers hardly reach even 65%. This means a modern boiler would use less fuel for the same amount of heat, hence lowering the overall energy demand of your house. It also reduces carbon emissions.
Modern boilers also have some additional controls, such as thermostats and smart heating systems. They allow further control over your heating to limit the amount of wasted energy used through heating.
The replacement really pays off if your current system is more than 10 to 15 years old or has a rating of poor efficiency, such as ‘D’ or worse, with a highly efficient condensing boiler.
How to Get a New Boiler for Free?
If you have ever wanted to upgrade to a newer boiler but felt it slightly out of reach, then the ECO4 scheme can help. The ECO4 Scheme is government-backed, which will help low-income households and replace old, inefficient boilers with brand-new, absolutely free.
Normally, you can qualify for a free boiler replacement if your household income falls within a specific bracket, in receipt of certain benefits, and the boiler is in bad condition. If you qualify, you will be entitled to a new boiler and have it installed with absolutely no charge through the ECO4 scheme.
Other Ways to Improve Your EPC Rating
The most satisfying ways of improving your EPC rating involve the installation of a new boiler. However, there are several other ways you may better improve the energy efficiency of your home.
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Upgrade Insulation
Proper insulation of your house is, in fact, one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to improve your EPC rating. Installing loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, or even solid wall insulation will reduce heat loss in your home which is warmer and heats up more efficiently.
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Install Double Glazing Windows
Single-glazed windows may account for drastic heat loss. The installation of double-glazed or triple-glazed windows can massively increase your home’s thermal performance.
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Upgrade to LED Lighting
You can try replacing regular bulbs with energy-efficient LED lights. These use way less power, last longer, and can help lower your electricity bills. This might give you a better EPC rating.
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Seal Gaps and Draughts
Something as simple as draught-proofing around the doors, the windows, and the floorboards stops the heat from dissipating so easily outdoors.
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Smart Heating Controls
Other improvements that could be installed include smart thermostats and heating controls. These improvements can improve your EPC score since this would make your heating more efficient. You will be able to control the heating when necessary.
Benefits of Improving Your EPC Rating
There are many benefits of improving the energy efficiency of your home:
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Lower Energy Bills
An efficient home requires less energy to heat. So you will spend less on your energy bills. With an improved EPC, the average homeowner can save hundreds of pounds every year.
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Increased Property Value
Homes with higher EPC ratings will be more attractive to buyers and renters alike, and one could sell or let their property for more money.
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Environmental Impact
A higher EPC rating implies fewer carbon emissions, too. You will do your bit to improve climate change and to make your home greener.
The Bottom Line
So, if your goal is to improve the EPC rating of your house, replacing the old boiler can be one of the best investments. Not only will this help lower energy bills for you, but it will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions in your home. It gives more comfort to you in your living space.
Furthermore, you can undergo such changes without paying a single penny upfront, provided you avail yourself of the available government schemes like the ECO4 free boiler grants. So, what are you waiting for? Upgrade your boiler today!
