EPCs will influence buying decision say householders

Research from the Energy Saving Trust has examined attitudes towards Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to reveal, for the first time, the true influence they have for householders in England - at a national level and on a regional scale.

It concludes that householders in England undoubtedly want to understand the energy efficiency of their homes (48%) and as a consequence EPCs will definitely affect two key aspects of their lives: firstly their home buying/renting decisions (29%) and secondly their home improvement habits (37%). However, the research reveals a large gap in householders’ knowledge because over half (53%) of homeowners in England admitted they were ‘unaware’ of the Energy Performance Certificate.

Philip Sellwood, chief executive of The Energy Saving Trust commented: “I am not surprised to learn people want to know how their home would rate on the energy efficiency scale. This reinforces what we already know from our Green Barometer report: ‘60% of people want tailored advice on energy saving’. What does surprise me is how many householders admit to being unaware about the Energy Performance Certificate. Clearly we need to inform people about energy efficiency, because once they are on-board they’re interested and will change their behaviour. We are urging householders to complete our free home energy check online, speak to Energy Saving Trust’s free, impartial advice network, and take advantage of the Energy Performance Certificates.”

For more information about Energy Performance Certificates, visit: energysavingtrust.org.uk/epc