An energy industry supplier claims that the housing sector in the UK offers too little help for those wanting to live in energy efficient homes.
The firm - iChoosr - claims that none of the UK’s top 10 agency websites, nor portals Rightmove and Zoopla, include options to filter by energy efficiency when searching for a new rental home or property to buy.
The firm claims that many home-seekers have increased interest in their energy consumption and are looking for ways to be more energy efficient.
A spokesperson for the firm says: “The spike in solar panel adoption in 2023 was driven, in part, by the cost of living crisis and rising energy bills. But there has also been a significant mindset shift on installing renewable energy sources by UK homeowners and home-seekers.
“There is now a near-on consensus across the UK that we are knee-deep in a climate emergency, demonstrating the urgent need for the transition towards renewable energy.”
“Homeowners are more likely than ever to invest in effective and sustainable solutions to improve their home now. Schemes like Solar Together make solar panels affordable and accessible for anyone to reap their environmental and financial benefits. It feels as though estate agents and property search sites are missing a trick by not reflecting homebuyers’ enthusiasm to adopt modern green energy sources.
“It would be great to see estate agents take heed and add green energy sources like solar panels and heat pumps as a criterion on their websites to help homebuyers navigate the different energy options available.”
The firm claims that investing in solar panels can increase a property’s value by up to £2,722, “future-proofing it for the market and making it more appealing to buyers who are seeking a sustainable home.”
It also says that adding a supporting solar battery allows residents to store the electricity produced, maximising utilisation and reducing carbon footprints by up to 15 per cent. It suggests that on average, those with a three-bedroom property with a solar panel system and a 5 kWh battery will save £669 per year on energy bills.
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Really? In my experience not a single tenant has ever shown any interest in EPC.
Most don't know what they are or are the least bit interested, how much is the rent and deposit and when can we move in is all they normally want to know
EPCs don't give an accurate indication of anything so what would the point be?
Please do not even go to Solar Together, company recommended by the mayor of London office. They are a total rip off. I should complain about them in Rip off Britain programme. They may have installed the solar panels, and invoice arrived swiftly. I had told them before hand that after installation, I need to know how it all works and also if they will provide updated EPC, like I received an EPC for my own home when done. They said they would. I never received any guidance, instructions or any information. Invoice arrived very quickly asking for payment so documents can be sent. Nothing sent. A lot of emails, phone calls but nothing. They keep insisting they were emailed on the day of the payment, so I asked them to forward this email but they have sent nothing. No tenants bothers about checking the EPC's, when sent, let one pay attention to it when it is advertised. EPC are totally irrelevant where savings in heating are concerned. EPC, themselves do not reflect the true facts. The person comes for about 20 mins max, does not look at the loft insulation or any other insulation, makes assumptions, until we send invoices to prove all the insulation. Even then 3 similar properties with similar insulation, EPCs are different rating. 2 of them done roughly the same year. The government has no standards and guidelines or proper checks done.
By the way, we had solar panels installed some years back by another company, who closed down. They did an EPC at the end and explained everything in detail and provided documents, all information about the tariff etc. Then they send an invoice. They also phoned a week later and moth later to check everything was OK. Solar Together installed the battery to store electricity and went away and never bothered to explain anything. Our electricity could not be switched on again. They said it was not their fault. We called an electrician, they sorted it out but they said it was the solar installers fault as they had cleat disconnected a cable when working under the stairs installing a box. Again the battery was paid but no explanation. We had to hire another company to check and explain to us, who recommended another company. This was all with extra cash. A lot of electricians and gas engineers have moved on to solar panel installation as it is lucrative but I also learn and communicate how it all works. Please do not use Solar Together.
If you happen to buy or inherit a property with solar panels then all well and good, but nobody is going to put them on a rental. I thought long and hard about putting them on my own house, its very expensive and the payback is approx 15 years. Tenants are struggling to find any decent property to rent, so they don't have the luxury of being fussy about this sort of thing. They want to know, how much is the rent and deposit, when can they move in, is it a long term let, do you accept benefits, can they have pets, can they redecorate? That's about it.
100% Correct.... Letting agent called me yesterday to say prospective tenant been round a house I have refurbished and said isnt it lovely and warm.
EPC D..!
Anyway anything like this article we normally have Gibbo on shooting his Heat Pump Off
Give him time, Peter. He is still in bed. 💤
“Knee deep in a climate emergency”? No, we are knee deep in an advertorial. 🤣
The only people interested in "energy efficiency" are those selling a product or service within that industry. In my many years of renting not one Tenant has asked or cared about "energy efficiency/EPC" in the property. They dont care about anything other than hiw much the rent is and if there is a SKY connection. That's it. Period.
Back to Gibbo again! 🤣 he will make them care. 😂
iChoosr. Never heard of them. Who cares what they claim.
Honestly, I don't think any of my tenants know what an EPC is.
Luckily for them, mine are all a C or a D. D's will be sold if/ when EPC C comes in. No point in selling 1 a year due to the lack of capital gains tax relief, I'll just sell them all.
For the last 10 years whenever I've bought a house I've always done what I can realistically do to help save the tenant money on heating before I rent it out. Fitted the max loft insulation, TRV's on radiators, LED lights, too many new A rated gas boilers, Room thermostat, etc. I refuse to waste thousands of pounds on floor insulation or solar water heating that will save the tenant £28 a year
Recently had a tenant ask about the solar panels that they noticed on the roof, they have lived there for over 4 years before they saw them...
I've been trying to get wall insulation on a couple of houses, but can't find anyone registered willing to fit it. Any I've approached only offer blown wool, which can cause damp and mould and they also offer a service of removing it. Really inspires me with confidence of their work.
I have 2 houses separately both were ‘C’ for 10 years on renewal marked a ‘D’ by 2 different EPC Accessors one digital lap top product straight out of University wouldn’t count the cavity poly beads insulation because I don’t have Certificate but it’s was done by Government Scheme and counted previous time, now the HM0 is coming due again for the 4th next month but I understand this particular Council’s application charge is more for a ‘D’ (£1600. at least) what a stitch up.
The other house marked down was due to Tenants
interference following the Accessor making comments about everything, he couldn’t wait to get out of there and things that should be counted weren’t, anyway it’s a high ‘D’ but pees me off having done internal wall insulation of all external walls.
The whole EPC thing is a total farce. The assessors I've used over the last few years don't look at what is installed, they assume from previous reports or the ones in the street. It's ridiculous.
In 1 of our houses, all built in in 1995, the same houses in the street are rated from an E to a C as different assessors presume different things and wont investigate what is actually there. They just want to get in and out as quickly as possible and get paid. the whole system is a bad joke. I can become an EPC assessor with 2 days training and generate a report... Guess I can not do it for my own houses? I'd assume that they have everything and give them all a C rating.
Recently seen a lot of houses for sale that have a C 69 and after viewing the actual EPC cert on gov website, ive got no idea why some of them are a C when a lot of mine are still a D and have better insulation and temp controls. The entire system is flawed.
I just need to find a dodgy EPC assessor in our area and sign them all off for 10 years, by then I will will have retired and will need to sell them all. Next to no capital gains tax relief these days, so will flog them off as quickly as possible.
Bit like the pictures flying around at the moment, particular favourite is this…
1960’s Oil will run out in 10years
1970’s Another Ice Age in 10years
1980’s Acid rain will destroy all crops in 10years
1990’s Ozone layer will be gone in 10years
2000’s Polar ice caps will have melted in 10years.
None happened and we don’t hear about any of them anymore but they all resulted in higher taxes!!
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