Making Homes More Energy Efficient for Landlords
As a landlord you want to provide a suitable, energy efficient and sustainable home for those renting, whether you rent out your property for the long-term or the short-term. In order to make your home more approachable and desired by renters, having an energy efficient property can do just that.
It is no surprise that energy bills have soared in the recent years, now at record-breaking highs, and further increases are expected to happen in October 2022. By making your property more energy efficient, you can provide a more lucrative investment for renters by helping tenants save money on their energy bills.
Therefore, it is crucial that you get your property up to the minimum efficiency standards (and perhaps higher to add even more value and demand for your home), so how can you go about this?
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
An EPC is a comprehensive document that outlines the energy efficiency of your property. Therefore, if you are unsure of where to start when making your home more energy efficient, as a landlord you should request an EPC certificate . The document is around 4 pages long and it uses the familiar traffic light system, providing a rating from A-G with A being the most energy efficient. It also details areas of your dwelling that you can improve the energy efficiency on.
In fact, getting an EPC is actually a requirement for landlords, at least once every 10 years and it is their responsibility to provide tenants with such information. Therefore, it may be time for you to get a new Energy Performance Certificate.
The minimum energy requirement for a home to be rented is an E, therefore you need to make sure your home complies with this, otherwise you may be at risk of a fine. You can learn all you need to know about an EPC from our article here .
EPC Updates
As the United Kingdom cracks down on sustainability for residential and commercial properties, new laws are constantly being issued to support eco-friendly measures. For example, for new tenancies as of 2025, private rented properties must be a C grade energy efficiency, for existing tenancies, you will have until 2028 to meet this.
Your EPC is definitely something you will want to stay on top of because you can actually get fined of up to £30,000, which no landlord would want to receive.
Therefore, if you are contemplating investing in insulation, it may be best to get a jump on things and prepare for a higher energy-performing property of C or above. This means that it will be crucial to have sufficient wall, roof and floor insulation, otherwise it will be difficult, if not impossible, to meet the standards and, as a landlord, you will be liable to a penalty.
You can contact our experts today to arrange your EPC here
How can you Improve your Energy Efficiency as a Landlord?
Residential insulation offers many different services that can help your property become the sustainable dwelling that it needs to be. Some core services that you can invest in are:
- Heat Pumps
- LED Lights
But our main focus will be on the three forms of insulation that will most drastically affect your EPC rating and they are: roofs/lofts, walls and floors.
Wall Insulation for Landlords
Up to 35% of heat is lost through your walls, yes you read that correctly, 35%!
This presents an issue but also a perfect opportunity for landlords to improve their EPC scores and make their homes more energy efficient. Whether you have cavity walls or external solid walls, insulating this area will improve your EPC score.
Roof Insulation for Landlords
Did you know that around 25% of heat is lost through your roof? Well, heat rises of course, therefore, without sufficient loft insulation, you can expect to lose a lot of heat and therefore, this presents an important area of your property to insulate. If you install sufficient roof insulation, you will greatly improve your EPC rating, avoid penalties, and present a more energy-efficient home that tenants would more likely rent.
Floor Insulation for Landlords
Yes, even floor insulation contributes to a lot of heat loss. In fact, your property loses up to 15% of heat through the floors. Therefore, with some sufficient floor insulation, your property can benefit from less heat loss, lower energy bills and higher EPC ratings.
In a volatile housing market, having a property with a high EPC score makes your dwelling a much more lucrative investment.
So, what are you waiting for, let’s get you that Energy Performance Certificate as soon as possible. Request a free quote here .
