Energy experts at MakeMyHouseGreen identify where investment into solar panels could have the greatest benefits for households and landlords.

MakeMeHouseGreen.com, which uses smart data to calculate savings made by green technology, have announced the result of a new survey that analysed the energy efficiency in UK households. According to the findings, solar panels are a great option for households and landlords looking to improve their overall EPC score.

Llewellyn Kinch, co-founder of UK energy auto-switching service Switchd, and green home solutions platform MakeMyHouseGreen.com understands how critical energy efficiency is for households today and the mounting regulatory pressure landlords face to improve the EPC ratings of their properties.

“An Energy Performance Certificate is far from a perfect way to determine energy efficiency, but it’s a good indicator. In fact, it carries a lot of weight because it’s so well-known and used. It’s a legal requirement for anyone looking to rent or sell a property in the UK, and it looks likely to become even more important for landlords in the near future. This makes it a really important tool despite its faults.”

Notably, households where investment into solar panels were made saw an increase in EPC score between 15-22 points. Solar panels were found to make households jump at least one band. Most households jumped from C to B. Currently UK households are rewarded for excess renewable electricity produced by paying them for any energy they sell back to the National Grid. Typical rates offered by energy companies are around 4p/kWh, even though the retail price of energy is around 28p/kWh. The lowest export tariff rate on the UK market is just 1.5p/kWh.

“The results of the study we carried out at MakeMyHouseGreen show that not only do solar panels save households hundreds of pounds a year, but panels are also likely to improve a household’s overall EPC.

“This helps put the power back in the hands of the consumer!”