British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON, Octopus customers can use four-digit code for £723 off energy bill

British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON, Octopus customers can use four-digit code for £723 off energy bill
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


UK households have been warned to check what their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating is ahead of £723 energy bill hikes. According to research from Atom Bank, three-fifths of those surveyed said they have “low or no understanding of the system”.

Nearly three-quarters said that improving their EPC rating was a worthwhile investment. Research suggests that most homes with an EPC D rating have average annual energy bills of £2,471, which is £723 more than an EPC C-rated home.

Atom Bank added that improving energy efficiency could increase property value by an average of 12 per cent. In a warning for energy bill customers, Edward Twiddy, director of ESG at Atom Bank, said: “Millions of homes could benefit from retrofitting, yet EPC ratings and the associated costs are widely misunderstood by homeowners."

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British Gas and EDF and EON Next and OVO and Octopus Energy customers were told by Mr Twiddy: "Part of the issue is that there is a current lack of information and guidance available on how to make improvements, which promotes inertia."

“As many of us face sub-zero temperatures, January is the perfect time for homeowners to consider how retrofitting can help them keep their homes warm while cutting energy costs.” He continued: “The launch of our new Retrofit Explorer tool makes it easy for homeowners to put together a tailored plan, and for a relatively small amount of money, they could save themselves hundreds of pounds a year in energy costs.

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“Given that retrofitting homes to improve efficiency is a key part of the government’s plan to achieve the UK’s net zero goals, we think tools like this will have an important role to play in helping homeowners on this journey.”

Atom Bank has teamed up with Kamma to introduce the Retrofit Explorer tool, helping homeowners understand their EPC rating and get tailored advice for making improvements.