Energy efficiency: Lower bills matter
Energy bills have become one of the most significant monthly costs in any household budget.
Despite the April 2026 reduction in Ofgem’s price cap to £1,641 for a typical dual-fuel household, energy costs remain 44% above pre-2021 levels. For tenants, the EPC rating of a rental property is no longer a peripheral detail on a listing. It is a direct and measurable indicator of what the property will cost to live in, and understanding how to use it before you commit to a tenancy is one of the most commercially useful things you can do.
What the EPC rating tells you
An Energy Performance Certificate rates a property from A to G, where A represents the most energy-efficient and G the least. The certificate provides an estimated annual energy cost based on the property’s insulation, glazing, heating system, and construction. These estimates use standardised assumptions rather than your specific usage, but they provide a reliable comparative tool for assessing one property against another.
The gap between a Band C and a Band E property in annual running costs can range from £500 to over £1,500 depending on size and property type at current energy prices. That difference is felt every month in heating costs and is largely invisible on a listing description unless you know to look for it. All rental properties in England must have a current EPC, and landlords are required to make it available at the point of viewing. Asking for it before or during a viewing costs nothing and tells you something that photographs and floor plans cannot.
What to look for beyond the headline rating
The letter rating is the most important indicator, but the certificate itself contains more useful detail. It lists the specific features that have produced the current rating, identifies the improvements that would raise it, and provides estimated costs and savings for each recommended measure. A property rated Band D because of a single inefficiency that is inexpensive to address is in a different position to one rated Band D because of solid walls, no insulation, and single glazing throughout.
Two features carry the most direct impact on your daily experience and your bills. The first is the heating system. A modern condensing boiler or heat pump, properly maintained and appropriately sized for the property, costs significantly less to run than an older system operating inefficiently. Ask when the boiler was last serviced and whether a service record is available. The second is insulation. A well-insulated property holds heat, reduces draughts, and requires less energy to maintain a comfortable temperature. This is invisible during a summer viewing but becomes very visible in the first cold week of October.
Why Zoopla’s rental data supports prioritising energy efficiency
Zoopla’s rental market research consistently shows that energy-efficient properties attract more enquiries and let more quickly than comparable homes without strong credentials. With enquiries per available property at their lowest level in six years according to the March 2026 Rental Market Report, the pool of available properties is at its widest for some time. Tenants who use that choice actively to filter for energy efficiency are making a decision that pays back every month for the duration of their tenancy.
In a market where the average rent nationally stands at £1,319 per month, the difference between a Band C and a Band E property in annual energy costs can represent a meaningful proportion of one month’s rent. Over the course of a two-year tenancy, the cumulative saving on energy bills is a figure worth calculating before signing.
The practical step
Before viewing any property, check whether the listing includes an EPC rating. If it does not, ask the agent. A landlord who cannot produce a current EPC is in breach of their legal obligations. A landlord who produces one readily and whose property is rated Band C or above is giving you a clear and verifiable signal about the cost of the home they are offering.
Looking for an energy-efficient home? Talk to our lettings team today
This article was originally published by BriefYourMarket and is reproduced here with their permission.
For more company news and insights from Pygott & Crone, click here
Latest news
Energy efficiency: Lower bills matter
Energy bills have become one of the most significant monthly costs in any household budget.
Understanding rent reviews and increases
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 introduced a clear and structured framework for rent increases in England's private rented sector that every tenant should understand.
Buyer advantages in today's market
Several measurable shifts in the UK property market are worth understanding if you're planning to buy.
House prices: What the data actually shows
Property market data is published monthly by multiple organisations, each using different methodologies, data sources and points in the transaction process to calculate their figures.
