After getting in touch with our expert advisors Michael has improved his home’s EPC rating from a D to a A – the highest on his street.
How we helped
Michael moved into his new home in North Shields in April 2025.
The home wasn’t too difficult to heat, but the downstairs area was draughty and felt chilly in the mornings. After a busy first few months of getting settled into his new home, he had a full winter of gas usage data and decided to take steps to lower his home energy use.
Michael first got in touch with the expert advice team at North East Warm Homes, who talked him through some of the home improvements he could make based on the home’s EPC rating. Michael then asked for a follow-up appointment to learn more. The assessor provided in-home support, discussing the best energy measures for the home, including loft insulation, solar panels, underfloor insulation, smart ventilation bricks and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs).
The biggest priority was to upgrade the loft insulation. Michael added 400mm of insulation to the existing 100mm. Once the insulation was in place, raised loft boarding was fitted to create storage space while keeping insulation from being squashed and allowing for ventilation. In total, the loft insulation and boarding cost £600.
The old EPC rating assumed that there was cavity wall insulation, but to confirm, the assessor recommended contacting the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA) to find out more and get a copy of the insulation guarantee.
The North East Warm Homes team gave him further advice on reducing energy bills, and recommended additional low-cost energy efficiency measures which Michael could action himself. This included advice on how to find and seal up any sources of draughts he could find:
- the plasterboard in the kitchen didn’t reach the floor underneath the cupboards
- The sink waste pipe wasn’t sealed up.
- There were some holes in the brickwork where old aerial cables and old pipes had been removed years before.
- The front door had a draught.
To get the most from the heating system, Michael, as advised, put in reflective panels behind the radiators, preventing heat from escaping through outside walls. He also installed TRVs, which have made it possible to warm colder areas of the house, without overheating warmer areas, further reducing his energy use and costs.
In total, the draught proofing and heating controls upgrades only cost about £100.
By the time Michael had everything installed, winter was almost over, but insulation works both ways, so the house is also cooler during heatwaves.
I’ll have someone else to keep warm by next winter too – so a warm home has never been more important to me!
Michael
The insulation helped keep the household warmer and lower energy bills. Michael estimated that he’ll make back the money he spent on these small measures in just a year or two and will see the benefits on his heating bills this coming winter.
With new roof insulation, solar panels and an array of smaller energy efficiency measures, Michael has improved his home’s EPC rating from a D to a A – the highest on his street. On top of this, his home has increased in value, has reduced energy bills all year around and become cosier in winter and cooler in summer – without costing the earth.
How can we help you?
Our advisors are available to talk from 9am to 5pm – Monday to Friday on freephone 0808 175 9345, or request a call or email from one of our advisors.
