Green lending
Improve your EPC rating with Retrofit Explorer
Helping property to Net Zero
The UK industries responsible for most carbon emissions are changing to meet Net Zero targets, but property is falling behind. With the oldest housing stock in Europe, more than half of England’s homes fail to meet EPC band C – the lowest rating a property can receive and qualify as energy efficient.
Since 2000, the number of private tenants in the country has doubled. The cost-of-living crisis has been compounded by the soaring costs of energy. For tenants and homeowners energy efficiency has become more important than ever.
Making improvements to boost a property’s energy efficiency isn’t just good for bills. Upgrading a property from a D to a C rating has been estimated to add 3% to its market value.
But knowing where to make improvements to raise a property’s EPC rating is difficult, with intimidating up-front costs and no obvious return for landlords. Still, it’s an essential step on the path to Net Zero by 2050.
At Octopus Real Estate, we recognise that improving the energy efficiency of their portfolio also stands to unlock real value for landlords – and we’re committed to helping them realise it.
Find your path to an improved EPC rating with Retrofit Explorer
Get a clear picture of the steps needed to improve a property’s EPC rating and reduce carbon emissions using the Retrofit Explorer tool.
Retrofit Explorer gives us access to a database of UK properties, offering landlords and developers insight into the real cost of retrofitting – and the benefits it provides.
- Simple and free to use
- Real, clear and actionable insights
- Downloadable report
Try it now to gain insight into how you could enhance your property’s energy efficiency.
What we’re doing about it
We’re playing our part in helping property along on the journey to Net Zero through two new lending products: Enviro-let and our refurbishment loan solution.
Refurbishment loan
We’ve enhanced our existing refurbishment loan for borrowers improving the EPC performance of their property as part of the refurbishment.
It’s understandable that when refurbishing a property the main focus of attention for a developer is ‘adding value’, often achieved by increasing the footprint of the property, or upgrading essential rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms.
But early to mid-renovation is often the perfect time to consider making energy efficient improvements. This could mean the installation of a new boiler or heating system, installing floor, loft or wall insulation, upgrading windows, or taking a moment to fit simple things such as boiler jackets and energy efficient light bulbs.
Recognising any enhancement comes at a cost, the Octopus refurbishment product offers a unique discount for achieving an improved EPC rating that will go some way to offsetting the cost of the material and labour.
Enviro-let
Enviro-let, a buy-to-let product, supports landlords as they improve the EPC ratings of their properties, reducing maintenance costs, increasing the capital value of their asset and making their property more attractive to tenants, even as they maximise its energy efficiency.
With a £50k minimum loan size, Enviro-Let mirrors our standard Buy-to-let offering, with the opportunity for borrowers to take a further advance and payment holiday whilst carrying out EPC enhancing works on their property.
To keep things simple Enviro-Let offers a streamlined process to draw on the funds required for the improvements without the need for additional credit underwriting or physical property inspections. The funds can be drawn down later, giving landlords the opportunity to take advantage of gaps between tenancies to make energy efficiency improvements to their properties. Simply complete the works that will improve the EPC to a minimum of C and submit a new EPC certificate as evidence.
(Please note – Applications to Octopus for Refurbishment or Enviro-Let loans need to be submitted on behalf of the borrower by a suitably qualified intermediary)
Feel the benefits
Energy efficiency doesn’t just benefit tenants. Our commitment to ensuring landlords have access to the funds they need to improve their properties’ EPC rating offers them the opportunity to safeguard against any new legislation, improve the capital value of their investment and benefit from the premium tenants are prepared to pay for energy efficient housing.
Green premium
As concerns about environmental impact grow, research indicates that renters are prepared to pay a premium for living in energy efficient homes, offering a meaningful return on investment into EPC improvement.
Growing value
The green premium extends to the value of domestic property assets. Upgrading a property from a D to a C rating has been estimated to add 3% to the market value – a figure that increases with the scale of the upgrade.
Future proofing
With the UK committed to a Net Zero future, taking steps to improve the energy efficiency of a portfolio safeguards against the impact of future legislation. Improvements also stand to mitigate to maintenance costs, generating savings over the full span of asset ownership.
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Using the Kamma Retrofit Explorer
