How do you lower your Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and both Energy and Environmental Ratings

[Deleted User]

Currently I've an old non-condensing gas boiler, (that needs replacing), so is gas out and heatpumping the way to go?

Bizarrely, not always: 

https://energysmartworld.co.uk/will-installing-a-heat-pump-increase-my-epc-rating/#:~:text=Unfortunately%20because%20of%20the%20cost,and%20increase%20your%20energy%20bills.

FreeBear

GValue said:

maisie_cat said:..

"The cost effective solutions are low energy lighting, TRVs/controls on the heating and insulation."

Ok, I've done LEDs, TRVs:-) and topped up insulation. :-)

Currently I've an old non-condensing gas boiler, (that needs replacing), so is gas out and heatpumping the way to go?

I had an old Baxi back boiler. Whilst not the most efficient, it was reliable. Fitting a smart(er) control system that allowed for different temperatures throughout the day/week made a big difference in gas consumption. Running the pump for an extra 10 minutes or so after the boiler switched off squeezed a little bit more heat out of the system. Turning the gas off at the meter when heating wasn't required during the summer months saved another chunk of money (an always on pilot light could be using ~2,000KWh a year). Got my gas consumption down to ~3,000KWh from ~8,000KWh a year. None of the changes I carried out would have made a blind bit of difference to the EPC though (the smart control isn't on the list of acceptable controls).

Depending on the age of the non-condensing boiler, fitting a programmable thermostat is worth while - Could potentially save you 10-15% each year.

GValue

@[Deleted User] thats good to know...

GValue

@FreeBear was your Baxi a combi boiler? Mine is just a basic water boiler, but better controls sounds a great idea

Qyburn

maisie_cat said:

According to our EPC we could get to an A if we install a wind turbine at a cost of £60k.

Yes that's on the EPC for our nearest neighbour. A wind turbine, by a house surrounded by fully grown trees, in a valley and in a low wind area.  

Not to mention that unless you're deaf you really don't want even a small turbine within 100m of your house, and not everyone has 100m of garden.

matelodave

Replacing a gas boiler with a heatpump is likely to make it worse rather than better.

We've got decent insulation, double glazing, cavity wall insulation, LED bulbs all over and a HEATPUMP and all we can manage is a D.

That's because although a heatpump is more energy efficient, the EPC is based on the energy requirement of the house, rather than the amount of energy that the heating system requires. It also takes into account the cost of the energy, so even though a heatpump might use one third of the energy of a gas boiler, the cost of the energy is more than three times the cost of gas.

There have been mumblings about revising the EPG to address this anomaly, nothing has been done about it

Solar panels and a wind turbine would probably have more effect on your EPC rating

Alnat1

Are you just wanting to have a better EPC or are you really wanting to know how to make your house more energy efficient and cheaper to run? Because they can be two quite different things.

Spoonie_Turtle

matelodave said:

We've got decent insulation, double glazing, cavity wall insulation, LED bulbs all over and a HEATPUMP and all we can manage is a D.

We have all those measures too.  However a recent surveyor downgraded our ASHP from its further classification of 'very good' to just 'good', yet despite nothing else changing gave our EPC two more points which moved it from D to C (67 to 69). 
A cynic might wonder if the Housing Association had explained they were needing to get as many properties up to C as possible … !

GValue

@Alnat1 I was hoping to do a bit of both everyone wants a warm home, with low heating costs, so I thought it was possible to reduce the drafts, insulate and regulate the heat and energy use. Are you telling me it's a pipedream?

markin

The usual thing that gets a good rating after the low cost stuff is solar PV.