EPC Reform: The Facts: And Why It Might Fail
The Energy Performance Certificate EPC according to the government:
Tells you how energy efficient a property is.
And if you want to do make any sort of change in a property;
You must order an EPC for potential buyers and tenants before you market your property to sell or rent.
However, this system has been highlighted with systemic errors. And yet it is the basis of schemes which supposed to, at a national scale start helping us head to net zero.
Is there any way that the advancing tech we have available could maybe be brought into use by government departments? To shape policy, expedite retrofit and make quite simply, many more homes, healthier, safer and more energy efficient?
You need a deep knowledge of the interaction between government procurement ideologies, civil service process and the machinations of politics to have an idea how this might work.
And you have to give a hoot.
And so. It seems someone. Somewhere is.
Lo. The civil service have been searching for a unicorn. This job advert was live until just before the Labour 2024 October budget.
However, as highlighted in a recent panel curated by the National Retrofit Hub, the current EPC framework poses significant challenges that hinder its effectiveness in promoting decarbonisation.
The National Retrofit Hub recently hosted the first of five sessions dedicated to EPC reforms. A diverse panel, including industry leaders like Emma Lower from Lendology, Stephen Heath from Knauf Insulation, Tom Oldfield from Mixergy, and Fay Holland from Energy Systems Catapult, provided insights into the necessary reforms to enhance the role of EPCs in decarbonizing UK buildings.
Rachel Owens, Director of NRH, opened the session by emphasizing the essential role EPCs play in engaging householders with home performance, building financing, and meeting governmental net-zero missions. Yet, as Fay Holland pointed out, the current cost-based energy efficiency rating does little to incentivize the switch from traditional heating systems to low-carbon alternatives like electric heat pumps.
Stephen Heath highlighted the need for more accurate EPCs that can incorporate real-world data. There are technologies available that measure the heat loss from homes, but incorporating such metrics into EPCs could provide a more reliable picture of a building's energy performance.
Similarly, Tom Oldfield stressed the incorporation of grid-flexing technologies into EPCs, which could motivate local authorities and developers to invest in emerging products essential for achieving flexibility and efficiency in energy use.
Emma Lower from Lendology addressed the finance sector's skepticism towards EPCs. She emphasized the potential for EPCs to act as a vehicle for driving investment into energy efficiency improvements, provided they become more rigorous and valuable instruments. The question is, what value do homeowners see in the reports?
Moreover, she advocated for an approach integrating social value and inclusion, suggesting that making EPCs part of the home buyer pack could encourage wide-scale engagement. Implementing mandatory updates during homeownership changes could further ensure EPC validity, fostering better public understanding of their importance. Simply put, if your EPC is going to reflect your house value then you will keep it updated, and improve the score, and we know house value is now pinned to it's efficiency according to estate agents.
The panelists contributed to a lively discussion on balancing the diverse needs of stakeholders—ranging from government bodies to homeowners—through EPC reform. Fay Holland proposed more interactive and user-friendly EPCs that communicate essential details on energy costs and smart building capabilities, engaging homeowners personally.
The National Retrofit Hub has been coordinating feedback from across it's membership groups with a survey of opinions conducted this Autumn. The importance of this measurement tool cannot be underestimated.
With EPCs used as the benchmark for access to grants, valuing houses and referencing improvements for retrofit, it's becoming evident that this part of the homeowners journey is not as effective as originally thought. It's going to be interesting to see what information is gathered from the NRH survey and which recommendations are put forward to government.
Read The EPC Reform Report from the NRH
Homeowners must be as confused as government when it comes to what the Energy Performance Certificate can do for them and their houses, it's not so long ago we had scandals about the Home Information Packs (HiPs) which severely dented the reputation of information provision in the house sales process.
Phil Clark
EPC reform must be an improvement, or these certificates in the water.
Listening to the tech that Tom Oldfield and his team are using makes us think that larger volume energy surveys are not just achievable, but essential.
Maybe the days of EPC assessors are numbered?
Maybe EPCs are a gonna?
Or maybe their is a solution in digital logbooks, what do you think?
Matt Milloy