How To Improve Your EPC Rating - 2025 Guide

The EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) for your home is a guide to the efficiency of the building in which you live. The ratings, from A to G, give homeowners and renters an idea as to what levels of improvements can be made.

So how do you improve your EPC rating? Is improving an EPC rating an easy thing to do? The good news is that there are several simple upgrades that most of us can tackle. If you are a competent DIY enthusiast, upgrading your EPC is very achievable.

Here’s how you can make a positive difference to your EPC rating in 2025.

How Much Does It Cost to Improve Your EPC Rating?

From changing a lightbulb, to installing solar panels or a new gas condensing boiler, the costs can vary. A good way to look at this type of home improvement is to decide which project will return the best value over time.

The better the EPC rating, the more energy efficient your home, which means that your gas and electricity bills will be lower.

The more you spend, the more you can save. When you need to upgrade heating, there are choices you can make that save money while keeping you cosy.

Why Should I Improve my EPC Rating?

Improving your EPC rating is worth doing if you are thinking of marketing your property. A home with a better EPC rating will be cheaper to run, and likely sell or rent faster than the competition.

If you are staying in the property, then investing in projects that will upgrade an EPC rating will return better value in the longer term.

Is Improving my EPC Rating an Easy Thing to Do?

If you can change a lightbulb, then congratulations, you will be able to begin making a difference to your EPC rating today. Older incandescent and halogen lightbulbs use a lot of energy.

If you put your hand near one that has been on for more than ten minutes, often you can feel a lightbulb generating heat. LED lights are a lot cooler, because they are low energy users.

• As an inexpensive, first step in the direction of improved energy saving is the replacement of older halogen, or incandescent lighting with a low voltage LED alternative.

• Doing this all at once might seem expensive, but the bulbs can be replaced as the old ones come to the end of their useful lives.

• Replacing your lighting will have an immediate impact on your EPC rating, will save money over the longer term, and is a good first step.

EPC Upgrade Quick Fixes

There are some actions you can take quite quickly to improve your EPC rating. Even if your budget is restricted, there are affordable EPC upgrade quick fixes that are very achievable.

Hot Water

If you have a hot water tank, chances are there’s an immediate easy EPC upgrade right there. Older hot water cylinders often don’t have enough insulation to render them compliant with current standards.

This is often close to the top of the list on the EPC recommendations. A new, 80mm thick, British Standard cylinder jacket will cost less than £20, and can be installed in ten minutes.

Demonstrate Draft Proofing

Airtightness is a key measure for all new builds, while older homes may suffer from poor window and door seals. Upgrading these is not expensive and should be considered if your replacement windows are more than ten years old.

Older homes with timber floors often suffer from cold air ingress between the floorboards. These can be sealed with a caulk material, coupled with an insulating underlay below the carpet.

Going Up

If you have loft access, go and have a look, and measure the depth of insulation. Rockwool, or fibreglass should be a minimum of 270mm thick.

Rolls of insulation are often on special offer at the DIY big box stores. They are light and easy to handle and install. Just remember to wear gloves and a mask and maintain ventilation at the eaves to prevent condensation.

In Control

Heating control is key to energy conservation. By installing thermostatic controllers to individual radiators, you can maintain efficient localised heating, room to room, across your home.

If you have a central heating system, and no thermostat, get one installed to control the overall temperature of your home. Setting a controller that tells the system when to turn on and when to stop can save you money, and also improve your EPC rating.

Longer Term EPC Rating Upgrades

Older homes need maintenance, and some items require upgrading every ten to fifteen years, or in the case of windows, fifty to sixty years.

Upgrading an EPC from E to C

Boiling Point

If your central heating boiler is on its last legs, it’s not a disaster, but an opportunity for an EPC upgrade. Boilers don’t last forever, they’re in use almost every day, delivering heating and hot water to the household.

An A-rated gas condensing boiler will pay for itself in terms of lower energy bills in just a few years. An air source heat pump may be a better option if you don’t have access to gas, or have an oil-fired or other solid fuel boiler needing replacement.

Windows and Doors

Double glazing has been around for half a century, and single glazing is only maintained in listed buildings or conservation areas, with secondary measures in place. A-rated windows are standard in new buildings and should be considered for renovations.

A competent DIYer on a budget could consider replacing one window at a time in order to upgrade their EPC rating over time. A registered installer can be expected to replace all the windows and doors in a traditional three-bedroom semi-detached home in about four days.

Take the opportunity to fit cavity closers to combat cold bridging and prevent mould growth.

Insulation Options

Loft insulation done? Check! The other areas to insulate are cavity walls and floor. Cavity wall insulation is a specialist job, but it is fast, and not expensive. Foam is pumped into the cavity under pressure from the outside of your building.

If you have a suspended timber ground floor, retrofitting insulation here is a little more complicated, but not impossible. For solid floors, concrete or beam and block, floor insulation is probably not a good option.

Upgrading an EPC from E or D to A

The challenges presented by the EPC are easily achievable up to C, but if you want to go beyond, to futureproof your home, the technology exists to do so.

Maximum Upgrade

Solar panels, wind turbines, ground source heat pumps, these are all the gold standard for energy efficient homes seeking the top rating on the EPC certificate. As technology improves, and the costs come down, so upgrading to an A rating becomes more achievable.

Where Can I Find My EPC Rating?

If your property has an EPC certificate you can search for it online using the Gov.uk portal. All you need to do is input the post code and the information will appear in a list of addresses.

The list will tell you what the EPC rating is for your home, those of your neighbours, and whether the certificate is still valid, or has expired. If your EPC is no longer valid, the website can give you a list of assessors local to your address.

An Energy Performance Certificate will require renewal every ten years. If you are planning maintenance, or have decided to sell, or rent a property, the average cost of an EPC assessment in 2025 is around £65.

What Will an EPC Tell Me?

The EPC will look at the level of insulation, and how it stacks up in relation to current regulations. Next comes an assessment of how a building is heated. This is done purely on a fuel costs assessment, so gas will always score higher than oil or electric heating.

Part of the assessment process is providing details and recommendations on how to improve the rating of an individual property. These will be listed in order of the biggest impact on energy savings in relation to cost.

The costs shown are for reference only, indicating typical savings and an estimate of what effect the upgrade will likely have on the EPC rating.

EPC Ratings for Renters and Landlords

If you are a rental provider, the property will require a minimum E rating for it to be legally compliant in 2025. However, this is set to change.

• Over the next five years to 2030, the EPC requirement for all rental properties is rising to C. Just over half of current rented housing stock falls between D and G.

• From 2028, an EPC rating of C will apply to all new tenancies, putting pressure on landlords and rental providers to upgrade thousands of homes.

• The government has indicated that it expects the average cost of this upgrade to be in the region of £6,000 per property, depending upon the starting point.

Upgrade Your EPC From F to C

The average UK home, built before 1990, will likely have a lower EPC rating than modern houses that were built to stricter energy saving regulations. However, there are ways to improve the rating of a property that won’t break the bank.

If your property has an EPC rating of F or G, it’s likely that you are prepared for making improvements, with a budget for renovations. Before you decide on that new kitchen, however, there are other priorities you should consider.

The house will likely need replacement windows and doors, loft and cavity wall insulation, draft proofing and LED lighting in order to bring it up to standard. A building with a low rating is an opportunity to upgrade to modern heating systems and energy saving strategies.

Next Steps

An EPC rating is a benchmark. Getting an assessment for your property is straightforward, and inexpensive.

At Wade, we can help you with the materials necessary to improve and upgrade your EPC. Whether you require retrofit insulation, or compliant materials for new builds and extensions, talk to our professional team today.

What do the EPC Ratings Mean?

The EPC ratings are graded from A to G, with A being the highest achievable score. New homes are expected to achieve at least a C rating, with B the target benchmark.

Older homes in need of refurbishment will be rated toward the bottom of the table. The closer you get to an A rating means lower CO2 emissions from the construction and running of a home.

EPC Rating A Meaning

This is the highest EPC rating that can be achieved and will require advanced insulation that exceeds the basic level of Part L of the Building Regulations. You will need solar panels, or an air source heat pump to maximise energy efficiency.

EPC Rating B Meaning

A B rating indicates that a building has reached a high level of energy efficiency, with a strong mix of insulation and smart heating and lighting installed. Moving to the next level could include upgrading glazing to triple-paned Low-E windows.

EPC Rating C Meaning

This is the most common rating for modern homes and indicates that the building has a good general standard of energy efficiency. Exchanging a gas boiler for an air source heat pump could make the difference along with insulation and draft proofing upgrades.

EPC Rating D Meaning

This is a typical rating for older homes that may have some energy efficient upgrades such as replacement windows, but there will be plenty of room for improvement. Taking a building from a D to a C rating may only require loft and cavity wall insulation.

EPC Rating E Meaning

An E rating tells you that a home meets the absolute minimum standards for energy efficiency, but it is likely to be costly to run. Insulation will be basic, and draft proofing will be poor.

EPC Rating F Meaning

F is a fail, which means that the property will probably require plenty of upgrading, from insulation through to the heating system. The windows and doors will likely also require upgrading to double glazing.

EPC Rating G Meaning

If your assessor comes back with a G rating, this indicates that the building likely has no insulation worthy of the name, an outdated, or decommissioned heating system, and will require major refurbishment.