A pensioner has been left completely shocked after seeing his top energy rating tank following his switch to an eco-friendly alternative.
Despite being a greener option, the heat pump installation caused his rating to plummet.
Colin Ferguson’s Perthshire home had achieved the ultimate score of 100 on its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). However, after installing a heat pump, he watched his rating drop to 74.
Ferguson’s detached house was completely redesigned to near-Passivhaus standard, an international efficiency benchmark for high-performance buildings.
The renovation, which he helped complete in 2013, earned a perfect efficiency score of 100. An energy assessor awarded the top rating, placing it in a band typically reserved for new builds.”
On the certificate under suggested “cost-effective improvements” it simply read: “not applicable”.
The retired insurance claims manager, age 74, and his wife, Sue, had wanted to replace their oil-fired boiler with a heat pump using £9,500 of government funding.
This required obtaining a new EPC after installation, as their previous one was expiring. Despite being a greener option, the heat pump installation caused his rating to plummet.
The heat pump caused the energy rating to go down
GETTY
EPCs play a key role in Labour’s net zero plans. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband aims for all rental homes to reach a C rating by 2030. Landlords who don’t invest in upgrades could be barred from letting their properties. At the same time, mortgage lenders are offering better deals to homes with higher energy ratings.
Critics have highlighted inconsistencies in EPC assessments as assessors often rely on guesswork to determine a property’s efficiency.
In Ferguson’s case, the total floor area of his house appeared to shrink between assessments – from 331 square metres to 279, equivalent to three large bedrooms.
EPCs currently prioritise lower energy costs over reduced carbon emissions. This means heat pump installations can actually hurt rather than help a home’s EPC score, despite their environmental benefits.
Ferguson said: “What really annoyed me was the little man who came in an Audi A8 to do the assessment. In he waltzed. I had all the documentation from the original build – reams of stuff – and he took one look at it and said, ‘I don’t need any of that’.”
Energy secretary Ed Miliband wants all rental homes to achieve a C rating by the end of the decade
POOL
Ferguson described the process as akin to “a primary school kid ticking boxes.”
Dropping an EPC band can significantly impact property values. Analysis by Knight Frank suggests moving from a D to a C could add three per cent value above local house price growth. This equates to approximately £9,000 based on average resale figures.
Research indicates 80 per cent of buyers consider a home’s energy rating when making purchasing decisions.
Ferguson’s home hasn’t become less efficient – quite the opposite. His property utilises solar feed-in tariffs, generating more energy than it consumes.
His bills show he spends about £1,300 yearly on electricity for his home and electric car. This is entirely offset by the £2,000 he makes selling surplus power back to the Grid.
Ferguson attributes the rating change to different assessment methods. The first used a standard assessment procedure (SAP), typically done for new houses. The second used a reduced data SAP (rdSAP), which relies more heavily on assumptions.
Elmhurst Energy, Britain’s largest EPC assessment firm, conducted the second assessment.
Stuart Fairlie from Elmhurst Energy acknowledged the issue, saying: “This shows an example of a homeowner who has done the right thing to reduce their home’s carbon emissions by installing a heat pump, but the EPC rating has not improved.
“We have been calling for the EPC to change for a long time.”
Elmhurst Energy expects Government reforms to ensure homes with low carbon heating systems receive proper recognition on EPCs.
Meanwhile, Ferguson’s heat pump hasn’t performed as well as hoped. Like several other heat pump owners, he and his wife now rely on a wood stove during winter months.
