Households that refuse to install heat pumps could see their properties fall in value under a Government review.
A “root and branch” review of how Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are calculated will boost the scores of households that use heat pumps, remote-controlled thermostats and other eco inventions backed by ministers.
The system, which will be in place by 2025, is designed to reflect the Government’s commitment to decarbonising homes as part of its Net Zero drive.
But it may also mean that those who do not adopt green technology in their homes will receive a lower score, which can reduce the value of a property or make it more difficult to rent out.
Landlords have already been told that properties with a rating of less than “C” will be illegal to lease after 2027, while mortgage lenders have offered preferential rates to those buying houses rated “A” or “B”.
The latest move to change the calculations behind EPCs could force homeowners to adopt home energy alterations, or face a costly downgrade.
The Building Research Establishment, which is conducting the review, said the new system would be “better suited to modern and dynamic technologies which will help decarbonise the UK’s housing stock, such as heat pumps, renewables, storage technologies and smart control devices”.
It will also be used in the Future Homes Standard, which mandates that new homes built from 2025 must have low-carbon heating systems installed.
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