LEE BOYCE: Why is my home’s official energy rating still so low?

This week’s plummeting temperatures made me realise how lucky I am to live in a modest three-bedroom semi-detached property with proper roof and wall insulation.

It warms up quickly — and stays that way. The thermostat never needs to pass 19 degrees, even when it is freezing outside. Our heating bills stay relatively slim as a result.

But just how does my home rate in the fabled Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings we’re all being encouraged to obsess about nowadays? 

After tapping in my postcode, I found my property’s score on gov.uk/find-energy- certificate. It can’t have taken me more than 30 seconds.

Sadly, I wasn’t bowled over by my rating. In 2013, the last time the EPC was measured at the mid-1990s properties on my street, the score was 64 out of 100. As a result, the home has a rating of D — the most common grade.

I found that surprising given how easy it is to keep Casa Boyce toasty. The in-depth analysis shows my home has potential for a score of 89, or a B grade. 

But many of the measures suggested are unfeasible, and some I’ve already implemented — which suggests the EPC score isn’t accurate anyway.

For example, we already have thermostatic radiator valves installed. These allow us to easily control the heat of the radiators from 0 to 5 (with 5 being hottest) and are far better than the old, numberless valves.

In the website’s list of eight recommendations to improve energy performance, it shows the installation cost and typical annual saving. Floor insulation was number one. Typical cost: £1,000. Yearly saving: £40.78.

That means it would take 24-and-a-half years to pay for itself, which isn’t so enticing. It would also be a faff to take up all our flooring downstairs. So it’s a no from me.

Next, solar panels. Typical cost: £12,500. Annual saving: £237.77. That’s a wait of 52-and-a-half years in order for the outlay to be recouped in savings.

The most bonkers? A wind turbine! The average cost is £2,500, with an annual saving of, wait for it… just £18.88. In other words, it would take 132 years to reap the reward. 

And I can’t imagine my neighbours would take too kindly to one overhanging their garden.

Get snooping

Talking of neighbours, the EPC register website allows you to snoop on them… purely for research reasons, of course.

If someone on the street has a higher rating, it could be worth finding out how they did it — if you’re close with them, that is.

The more we talk about improving the energy efficiency of homes with simple, inexpensive measures that make sense, the better.

Here’s an idea. Why doesn’t the Government find a way for every homeowner and landlord to be given a free EPC report on their home? I’m sure there would be many companies willing to do it.

As the nine lucky NatWest customers featured today found, the report would list low-cost yet worthwhile improvements. 

Rather than blithely telling us all to ‘go green’ and half-heartedly offering discounts on new boilers, a dose of helpful, practical — and tailored — advice like that might actually make a difference to our bills and carbon emissions. And that’s something we can all get behind.

Electric dreams

Continuing the green theme, one question I’m often asked is: should my next car be electric?

Data shows demand for electric vehicles has waned in recent months. Among the reasons are higher electricity costs and the huge outlay to buy one. 

An electric Vauxhall Corsa starts at £29,305, compared to £18,015 for a petrol version. That is a big premium.

I had an electric car on loan for a weekend in the summer. With no dedicated charging point at home, I charged it out and about. 

Many charging bays were out of service or occupied. And when I did use them, it wasn’t clear on the screens how much I was being charged.

There’s a long way to go before I’d feel comfortable taking the plunge. Are you mulling over a switch to electric? Let me know what’s playing on your mind…

l.boyce@dailymail.co.uk