If you want to add value to your home forget planning an expensive extension or a kitchen remodel, the easiest option that will guarantee a return on your investment is improving the energy efficiency of your home.
Upgrading your home's insulation should be your first port of call, looking into opportunities to improve windows with double glazing and other solutions to prevent precious heat from escaping your home in the winter months. However, your energy renovations shouldn’t stop there, you can look into other ways to lower energy bills with solar panels and electric heating.
Not only will these measures help you save money on energy while you’re living in the home, but when you come to sell they could add 8.8% to the value of your home. Estate agents Knight Frank found this was the case when homes moved from an E to a C on the EPC scale. 20% of buyers said they would pay more for an energy-efficient home.
‘Our clients typically spend around £10,000 on energy work, which, with the right targeting of measures, can yield an average of £1,000 a year in energy bill savings at today’s prices,’ says Ecofurb founder Russell Smith.
However, if improving the home energy efficiency of your home is such a no-brainer why aren’t more homes doing it? The simple reason is that they’re afraid of getting it wrong or not having enough knowledge to find a trustworthy installer.
Low carbon home service Ecofurb addresses these dilemmas, as Russell explains. ‘Every home is unique, so the most appropriate measures may not be what you expect,’ he says. ‘Given the importance of the work involved and long-term impact on the home, getting a professionally produced plan is essential.’
Ecofurb makes achieving your energy-efficient dream home so much easier by combining a tailored and independent advice service with a trustworthy installer network. Each step is guided and overseen by a PAS2035-qualified Retrofit Coordinator to give homeowners confidence. This ensures that the right measures are invested in and, where applicable, qualify for grants and new loans that reward investment in energy efficiency.
‘Ecofurb I think offers a derisking process…derisking your investment,’ says Vaughan, owner of a 1990s detached house who installed new windows, insulation and an air source heat pump, with an Ecofurb Plan and installers recommended by Ecofurb. Vaughan says he saved around £1,400 on energy in 2023.
If you’ve been persuaded to find out more, you can currently save £100 on an Ecofurb plan reducing it to £470. However, you might want to act fast as the offer is only available for the first 50 customers.
Every project starts with getting the right advice, you wouldn’t build an extension without an architect, so don’t start your home retrofit without a Retrofit Coordinator.
