Daniel Särefjord, Aira UK CEO, has released a statement in response to the release of the new policy paper from Which? that calls for an overhaul of the Energy Performance Certification (EPC) regime.
Daniel said: “The Which? policy paper shows that the Energy Performance Certificate regime is outdated, counterintuitive and badly designed to meet consumer demand for accurate home energy efficiency ratings. EPCs should have a greater focus on the impact of the home on the climate, a metric that is lacking at this time.
“Which? repeatedly highlights the integral role that heat pumps will play in decarbonising our homes, as we take on the largest domestic source of CO2 and Europe’s third largest carbon emitter – residential heating. Today, a family installing a modern heat pump can cut their heating related CO2 emissions by 75%, rising to 100% when using green electricity, but this is not accurately reflected in their EPC rating.
“Under the current regime, a homeowner with a net zero home, will not necessarily be awarded an EPC A rating. Future reform of the EPC system should reflect the reality of a home’s financial and environmental cost with a transparent, easy-to-understand methodology. This is the sort of information that is increasingly being demanded by the modern consumer.”