Usually, the first thing on a renter or buyer’s list when they come to Crown Home Buying & Letting is the property view or the facilities available to residents. However, industry experts are predicting a new wave of important requirements; from double glazing to roof insulation, energy efficiency is predicted to top the list for many house hunters. 

As of April 2022, energy prices are set to increase to a rate never seen before and so, the housing market is predicting a shift in buyers and renters needs. 

It will now become more important than ever to have a good energy performance certificate (EPC) rating, with experts predicting having an energy tight property potentially saving you hundreds of pounds a year in energy bills.

It’s key to remember that whether you are a tenant, landlord or homeowner, this increase will affect everyone. For landlords, when your property is vacant, energy bills are covered by you. If you are looking to let a property, energy costs are often separate from rental costs and so should always be factored in on top of your monthly outgoings. As for homeowners, I think it’s pretty self-explanatory, right? Chances are if you live there, you pay the bills!

There is hope on the horizon though! At Crown Home Buying & Letting we specialise in buying, selling and renting new build homes and, a perk of this is that they are often built to higher energy standards than earlier homes. 

How is this the case, you may ask? 
As technology has progressed, so has our understanding of how to make a home retain its energy better, from induction hobs to roof insulation and double glazing, these are all features that will help a property use its energy more efficiently.

Use EPCs as your indicator.
Every property legally has to have an EPC rating (with a few exceptions), so if you are looking to buy, rent or sell always make sure to check the EPC rating of the home. At CHBL you can find the EPC rating on each property page underneath the floor plan. 

What is a good EPC rating?
You’ve probably seen the EPC ratings on property pages and never paid much attention to it. Well, now you may start to notice and luckily they are very easy to read. In short, a rating of C or above is considered pretty good. Although it won’t guarantee you cheap energy bills, it will give you an indication of what to expect based on market trends. 

Of course, your EPC rating doesn’t guarantee a particular energy cost but, whether you are buying, renting or letting, having a home that keeps its warmth in is going to become more important than ever.