Millions of UK homeowners are unaware of the legal need for an energy performance certificate (EPC). According to research produced by the Green Home Company, 22 million British people are unaware that an EPC is a document required by law in order to buy or sell a property.
In short, an EPC is a legally required document which tells tenants, home owners and prospective buyers how energy efficient a property is. It also helps them understand energy costs and indicates areas for improvement.
John Benner, managing director of the Green Home Company, said: “The fact that every other person in Britain is unaware of what an EPC is, is hugely worrying given it plays such an important part in telling us how energy efficient our homes are and therefore acts as an indicator of where cost savings can be made.
With households all over the country feeling the pinch, making sure you know about energy performance certificates is an absolute must.”
The research found that awareness varies according to age and location. Those living in Scotland are reportedly least likely to know what an EPC is, whilst people in Wales and the South West have the highest numbers of people aware. Home owners were found to be the group most aware of other energy saving issues.
The Green Home Company also found that:
A total of 28 million home owners currently have energy saving light bulbs in place, making them the most popular green initiative
- Some 16 million people have cavity wall insulation
- 13 million have water tank insulation
- 11 million have installed water butts to collect rainwater for use in the garden
- 1.2 million homeowners have had solar panels installed on the roof
- Some 627,000 homes have biomass boilers
The report also featured a section on home improvements, with interior decoration ranked as the most popular improvement. Respondents said they were currently more likely to stay put make improvements rather than sell up and move on, due to the uncertain state of the economy.
Installing a new kitchen was found to be the third most popular home improvement, whilst putting in new windows ranked fifth on the list. Although cosmetic changes proved to be the most popular, the report revealed that people are increasingly searching for ways to make upgrades which save money on running costs. Adding a new conservatory proved to be just as popular as installing solar panels.
Source: Property Wire.