How Size & Age Of Property Affects EPC

New research has revealed how the type and age of a property affects its energy efficiency.

The team at BOXT have analysed the average energy usage and costs in the UK, as well as usage trends throughout the year and how your property can affect your energy usage to bring you a close look at energy trends in the UK.

You can view the full study here.

How the size of a property affects its energy efficiency:

The EPC energy efficiency rating allocates a score to a property, typically between one and ninety-two. Depending on the score it is given it is then rated from A, which is the most efficient, to G, which is the least efficient.

The median EPC rating for detached houses in England is 65, which is a D rating. However, the UK government has stated that all rental properties will need to be rated C, at the very least, by 2025.

How the age of a property affects its energy efficiency:

Properties built before the 1930s are by far the least efficient for energy usage, on median being rated at 59, which is a D rating and quite a way from the lower C rating of 69. Meanwhile, properties built from 2012 and onwards, have a median EPC rating of 83 in England, which is a B rating. This makes properties from 2012 onwards the most energy efficient.

Even properties built from 1983 to 2011 have a median EPC rating of 71 in England and Wales, which is also a C, and meets the minimum EPC rating to be set by the government by 2025.

The research also revealed the following:

• Households in Britain consume 2,900 kWh of electricity annually. Around 12,677,460 domestic electric meters read an annual usage of more than 2,900 kWh, whilst around 3.5 million households in the usage bracket of 3,000 to 3,750 kWh.

• When looking at a flat or 1-bedroom house with 1-2 people living in the residence, the average energy consumption is 8,000 kWh of gas. When it comes to a 5-bedroom house, with 4-5 people living in it, the average annual gas consumption is around 17,000 kWh, which is nearly 10,000 kWh more than a 1-bedroom house.

• The average annual energy bill for a flat or 1-bedroom house is £1,713, with the average combined annual energy bill for a 5-bedroom house averaging £3,493 – almost £2,000 more than a flat.

• The highest contributing appliance to electricity bills is the fridge-freezer, costing around £138.72 annually. Electric tumble dryers are the second-biggest contributor, costing around £125.80 per year, and in third place are electric hobs with an average annual cost of £102.35, based on the typical usage of 424 times per year.