Climate change is very much high on the agenda again with COP26 taking place in Glasgow at the start of November. Accelerating the global transition to clean energy is key to help the fight against global warming and changes to how you heat and insulate your home could make a big impact.
In Scotland, when you put your property on the market you must have a Home Report. The report consists of three components: a single survey. an energy report, and a property questionnaire.
The energy report forms the basis of an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which tells you how energy efficient a building is and gives it a rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). It will tell you how costly it will be to heat and light your property, and what its carbon dioxide emissions are likely to be – i.e. the impact the home has on the environment.
Housing Minister Christopher Pincher announced earlier this year that all new homes will have to meet rigorous new energy efficiency standards to lower energy consumption and bills, helping to protect the environment. The Government has set out plans to radically improve the energy performance of new homes, with all homes to be highly energy efficient, with low carbon heating and be zero carbon ready by 2025.
There are ways that you can help the UK meet it’s net zero target (the Net Zero Carbon Roadmap for Edinburgh shows how Edinburgh can accelerate towards Net Zero emissions by 2030 by making changes to its housing, buildings, transport and industry) by making home energy improvements such as:
- Upgrade your insulation – a simple way to keep your home warm in winter and cool during the summer months. Loft insulation in particular can significantly reduce your annual carbon dioxide emissions.
- Replace your windows and doors – upgrading to double or triple glazing will help to reduce heat loss and also help to lower your household carbon emissions.
- Switch to electric heating – the Government has recently started their campaign to highlight replacing oil and gas boilers with electric heating systems like heat pumps, or renewable options like solar thermal systems.
- Generate your own energy – by installing a renewable technology at home, such as solar panels, you can reduce your reliance on fossil fuels and cut your carbon emissions.
New build homes tend to be built to higher standards and are better from an energy point of view than the vast majority of existing homes. However there are many ways to improve the energy efficiency of an older home, which will not only help us meet our net zero target but can add value to your property when you come to sell. A recent report by Rightmove says that sellers who have upgraded the Energy Performance Certificate rating of their home to a C, from a D, E or F rating are pocketing as much as 16% extra on average when selling their home.