Green Homes: Home Features for a High EPC Rating

Feeling sluggish, blue, low on energy? Throw the healing monk chants on Spotify and let’s raise your vibration, love. Lucky for you we’ve got our resident healing guru in the Davies and Davies offices today, and they’re ready to get those chakras realigned, and your wonky pelmets while we’re at it. Say it with us, “I take care of myself, because it’s the only place I have to live” (unless you own multiple properties, that is). Together we’re going to learn how to raise our energy performance levels and lower our bills in the process. Take a deep breath, stretch those fingers and order that insulation… It’s time to raise your EPC rating; you and your home are worth it!

Discover yourself, and your EPC rating

Get your arse out of that child’s pose Keith. We’ve got a different set of figures to ogle! Just like you can’t expect the same energy from yourself each day, you can’t always expect the same daily energy use from your home. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) when assessing how much energy is going into keeping your home running like a well-oiled yoga instructor. The ratings range from A (the most efficient) to G (oh dear) and are assessed on a gruelling scale of 0-100. Yes, you guessed it. The higher your score – the lower your energy bill. You can go back to your downwards dog now, we’re going to look at your light bulbs…

Baby, turn off the lights

As stunning as you are, babe, we’re going to need you to dim the lights and unscrew that incandescent bulb. Lighting is a vital part of any home’s EPC rating and it’s high time for an energy upgrade! LEDs (light emitting diodes) are energy-efficient bulbs which last longer and generate less heat. Improving a household’s energy consumption. Similarly, smart LED lights can be automated through an app rather than traditional wall switches, controlling the entire house’s lighting system. So switch that big light off, replace your bulbs, and leave your hat on.

Straight A student? Pump it up

So you’ve got the energy saving bug and want to really impress your Davies and Davies guru? As you’ve probably deduced by now, in order to achieve an A rating it’s about more than upgrading your floorlamps. A rather novel way to reduce your carbon footprint while still staying cosy in your PJs is with an air source heat pump. Come again, guru? Apparently, these snazzy little devices draw heat from the outdoors before efficiently pumping it into your home. Say goodbye to layering up your wolf fleeces in your all-new eco-friendly haven, Barbara!

Triple your chances

Double glazing is a thing of the past, in this ever-climate-changing hell-fire-burning planet of fear we inadvisably still choose to live on. Protect yourself from the bitter chills of Summer and the scorching rays of Winter, by utilising triple-glazing windows and insulation of the highest quality. Just like we lose most of our precious brain power from scrolling Insta and body warmth through our heads. Our homes typically lose the most heat through their windows. Many smart individuals decide to upgrade to triple glazing in order to save energy otherwise we don’t feel the benefit, do we?

Make a (solar) power move

There’s no way of avoiding it. Solar panels are the future dude. Harnessing light through layers of silicon, boron, and phosphorous in tiny cells is a genius invention that allows instant energy consumption through an inverter. Without a battery, it’s useless to store the power generated. So why not be savvy and sell it back to your electricity provider like some kind of money-hungry Apprentice contestant? Or you can use it instantly. Your choice. Electricity bills will plummet. You’ll be using your own environmentally-friendly energy source, and you can even make some sweet, sweet dollar by selling some of it back. What are you doing gawping at your boring slate roof? Get panelling man!

Insulation for the nation

Short of super-glueing your face to a road in solidarity with the Insulate Britain movement, you can simply choose to… get insulation. Installing good insulation in your home is essential to keeping it comfortable all year round, but it’s especially important during winter (obvs). When the weather outside gets frightful, and the fire isn’t so delightful, the insulation helps keep warm air from escaping your walls and roofs. What’s more, it helps reduce the chances of pesky cold draughts getting into your precious abode and gets you closer to that elusive 100/100 A star* rating.

*the star isn’t a real thing

Namaste at home

So in conclusion, to make sure your house is a lean, mean, energy-saving machine – start by examining your heating system and control, upgrade your windows to double or triple-glazed, insulate floors and walls with ease, and treat yourself to some low-energy lighting. If you think you’re ready for the big leagues, try installing an air-source heat pump that can bring warmth from the outdoors into your home. You’ve got this, yogi. Namaste.

Please note that all content contained within our website is for informational purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. All Content on this site is information of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. We advise seeking professional advice from a legal, financial, or other professional.

Contact us:

alex@daviesdavies.co.uk – Lettings Director (contact for lettings and property management)

mark@daviesdavies.co.uk – Sales Director (contact for sales, new homes and chartered surveying)

Davies & Davies Estate Agents, 85 Stroud Green Road, London, N4 3EG

Article & images by Barefaced Studios

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