While comfort and style remain an important aspect of homeownership, energy efficiency continues to play centre stage. In 2025, it’s not just a nice-to-have  - high EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) ratings are becoming more critical than ever before. Let’s discuss why and, more importantly, how you can future-proof your home.   Factors Driving Energy Efficiency The days of cheap energy are likely behind us. Global events and increasing demand are pushing energy costs to unprecedented levels, directly impacting homeowners’ wallets, making energy bills a significant financial burden. 36% of families spent more than 10% of their income on energy in 2024 and this figure continues to increase each year. Efficient homes directly combat this by reducing energy consumption, for substantial savings. The government’s implementing stricter regulations to meet climate change targets. These regulations often include minimum energy efficiency standards for homes, impacting everything from new builds to existing properties. Today’s homebuyers, particularly younger generations, are increasingly environmentally conscious, recognising the long-term cost savings and positive environmental impact of energy-efficient homes. Homes with low EPC ratings are becoming less attractive, potentially leading to longer selling times and reduced resale value.   Future-Proofing: More Than Just Saving Money While saving money on bills is a major motivator, future-proofing your home goes beyond that. Energy-efficient homes are simply more comfortable. They maintain consistent temperatures, eliminate draughts, and provide better insulation year-round. Improved ventilation and reduced dampness in energy-efficient homes contribute to better indoor air quality, promoting the health and well-being of occupants. Energy-efficient homes are more resilient to energy price shocks and future regulatory changes, providing long-term security and peace of mind.   The VESA Advantage Navigating energy efficiency can be daunting. That’s where the Vibrant Energy Savings Audit (VESA) comes in. A VESA provides homeowners with a clear path to a greener future, identifying the most effective energy-saving upgrades for your home, helping you understand current and upcoming energy efficiency regulations and ensuring your home meets the required standards. By implementing our sustainable recommendations , you’ll create a more comfortable living environment while simultaneously increasing your property’s value and appeal to future buyers. Furthermore, we model each upgrade package to achieve a significant return on investment, where the savings often exceed the borrowing costs required for funding the installations. Contact us today to book your VESA and embark on your journey to a more sustainable and valuable home.

Many homeowners want to reduce their energy bills and environmental impact but aren’t sure where to begin. We’re here to guide you on how to create a warmer, greener, and more affordable home! This guide is designed for you - the everyday homeowner who wants to make a real difference to your bills and property’s energy usage. We’ll break down some easy starting points for energy-efficient upgrades and, best of all, show you how our UK-first Vibrant Energy Savings Audit (VESA) can help you save £500 on your journey! Where to Begin: Simple Steps, Big Impact Think of your home’s energy efficiency like building blocks. Starting with the foundation makes the rest easier to follow. Here are a few beginner-friendly areas to focus on: Draught-Proofing Imagine tiny gaps around your windows and doors letting precious heat escape in winter and cool air escape in summer. Draughts are a major culprit for wasted energy and can make your home feel constantly chilly or stuffy. Invest in some inexpensive draught excluders for doors, weather stripping for windows, and sealant for cracks around pipes or cables. You’ll be surprised at the immediate difference in comfort and your energy bills.   Smart Thermostats Traditional thermostats can be inefficient, heating your home even when you’re not there or overheating rooms unnecessarily. Smart thermostats offer much more control. A smart thermostat allows you to schedule heating and cooling, control it remotely via your phone, and even learn your habits to optimise energy usage automatically. Precise temperature control prevents wasted energy and ensures your home is comfortable only when you need it to be.   Efficient Lighting Incandescent and even some older halogen bulbs are energy guzzlers. Switching to LED bulbs is one of the quickest and most impactful changes you can make. Lighting accounts for a significant portion of household energy consumption. LEDs drastically reduce this, saving you money on your electricity bill.   Understanding Your Energy Usage Before making bigger changes, it's helpful to understand where your energy is going. That’s where we come in. A VESA will help you understand your energy habits in detail and also helps you identify areas where you can make the biggest impact with your upgrades, alongside recommendations for the most impactful energy upgrades, access to government funding and exclusive deals and savings with our industry-leading partners.   Ready to Take the Next Step? We hope you’re feeling more confident about where to start. But, sometimes, knowing what  to do is only half the battle. With a Vibrant Energy Savings Audit, we’ll help you make your home as energy-efficient and as effective as possible with our expert advice, installations and recommendations. With a VESA you’ll receive a specific, step-by-step report - designed specifically for homeowners like you. We take the guesswork out of energy-efficient upgrades by: Gathering in-depth, detailed information about your property and your energy needs. Based on your specific situation, we’ll suggest the most impactful upgrades for your home and budget. We’ll break down each recommendation into why and how it can benefit you. £500 off our exclusive Gold Get Off Grid package   How to Claim Your £500 Discount Visit our website or contact us directly.   With these beginner-friendly steps and the expert guidance of a VESA, you can start saving money, reducing your carbon footprint, and creating a more comfortable home today. Take the first step towards a more energy-efficient future. Contact us today.

With energy prices rising and sustainability remaining a core component of government policies, there’s never been a better time for homeowners to invest in sustainable energy and efficiency upgrades. The UK government offer a range of grants and financial schemes to help households improve their property’s energy performance – in turn, reducing both carbon emissions and energy bills. Here, we break down the top UK government grants available in 2025, eligibility criteria, and how our VESA (Vibrant Energy Savings Audit) can help you find and access the best funding options for your home. The Great British Insulation Scheme Designed to help homeowners and tenants improve home insulation , this scheme provides grants for loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and solid wall insulation. Households in council tax bands A-D (England & Wales) or A-E (Scotland) and homes with an EPC rating of D or below are eligible. Grants typically cover up to 75% of insulation costs, making energy-saving improvements more affordable.   Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) A government-backed initiative offering grants to replace old gas boilers with low-carbon heating systems such as: air source heat pumps (£7,500 grant), ground source heat pumps (£7,500 grant)and biomass boilers (£5,000 grant – rural areas only). To meet the qualification criteria, you must be a homeowner in England & Wales, your property is replacing existing fossil fuel heating (oil, gas, or electric heating) and your property must have a valid EPC and has no outstanding loft or cavity wall insulation recommendations.   Warm Homes Grant The Warm Homes: Local Grant is a government-funded scheme delivered by Local Authorities that will take the first steps to delivering on the ambitions of the Warm Homes Plan. It will provide grants for energy performance upgrades and low carbon heating to low-income households living in the worst quality, privately owned homes in England to achieve energy bill savings and carbon savings. Delivery of the scheme is expected to start in April 2025 and will allocate £500 million across 270 local authorities over the next three years. Property is in England Are low income and meet one of the following criteria: gross annual household income of £36,000 or less those living in deprived areas (ranked in the lowest income deciles) those already receiving means-tested benefits (like Universal Credit or Housing Benefit) Have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) between D and G Are privately owned (owner occupied or privately rented)   Smart Export Guarantee The SEG allows homeowners with solar panels , wind turbines, or other renewable energy sources to sell excess electricity back to the grid. While it’s not a grant, it’s a great way to generate savings on your energy bills. Homeowners who install solar PV, wind, hydro, or micro combined heat and power (CHP) systems qualify – you also must use a SEG-licensed electricity supplier.   Find Out Which Grants Apply to Your Home with a VESA Understanding which government grants you qualify for can be confusing - but we’re here to help you with all your energy-related questions. Our Vibrant Energy Savings Audit provides a detailed report on how to improve your home’s energy efficiency with recommendations for specific upgrades, alongside which grants you are eligible for. When you book a VESA, we’ll help boost your EPC rating and reduce energy costs – you’ll also get £500 off the Get Off Grid Gold Package to offset costs on the energy efficiency upgrades you opt for. Book your VESA today!

When selling or renting a home, one of the most overlooked factors influencing property value is its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. A higher EPC rating not only makes your home more energy-efficient but also makes it more attractive to buyers and lenders, which helps increase its market value. Improving your EPC rating can add real benefits to your property, including higher value, a lower carbon footprint, better mortgage rates and complying with government regulations. At Vibrant, we also help you access exclusive grants and schemes to make those upgrades more affordable. Higher Property Sale & Rental Prices Energy efficiency is now a key selling point for buyers and tenants. Research shows that homes with higher EPC ratings can sell for up to 14% more than lower-rated properties. Buyers are willing to pay more for homes with lower running costs, and landlords can charge higher rents for properties that meet or exceed new energy efficiency standards. Government data suggests homes rated EPC C or above sell faster and at higher prices than those rated D or below. Loft insulation , energy-efficient lighting, and sustainable heating upgrades can significantly boost your EPC score.   Lower Running Costs & Increased Buyer Appeal A home with a higher EPC rating costs less to run. Buyers today are more conscious of energy bills, and with rising energy prices, a cost-efficient home is far more attractive. A property upgraded from EPC D to EPC B could save homeowners hundreds of pounds per year in energy costs, making it more desirable to future buyers. Modern boilers, heat pumps , and improved insulation can significantly reduce energy costs.   Better Mortgage Rates & Green Finance Options Many mortgage lenders now offer ‘green mortgages’ with lower interest rates for energy-efficient properties. Buyers purchasing a higher EPC-rated home can access better borrowing terms, making it more affordable to buy a well-rated property. Major UK banks offer discounted mortgage rates for homes rated EPC B or above. Upgrading your home’s heating system and insulation can make it eligible.   Future-Proofing Against Government Regulations With the UK government tightening energy efficiency rules, homes with low EPC ratings may become harder to sell or rent. With EPC C soon to be the minimum standard for all rented properties, homes below this grade may require expensive upgrades - which could have been sorted out sooner - before they can be sold or let. The proposed Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for landlords will ban rentals with an EPC below C by 2028 for new tenancies and 2030 for the remainder of tenanted properties. Investing in renewable energy solutions, and insulation now will keep your home compliant and valuable in the long term.   Exclusive Brand Discounts & Cost Savings on Upgrades The biggest barrier to improving a home’s EPC rating is the upfront cost of energy-efficient upgrades. That’s where we can help. A   Vibrant Energy Savings Audit (VESA) helps with: Recommending specific energy efficiency upgrades for your home Access to grants and funding you may qualify for Exclusive brand discounts with our partners to make improvements more affordable When you book a VESA, you’ll also get an exclusive £500 off the Get Off Grid Gold Package , helping you upgrade your EPC rating at a lower cost and off shooting the overall costs of the sustainable installations you opt for. Upgrading your EPC has never been easier or more cost-effective – book your VESA today .

Your home’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating plays a crucial role in its energy efficiency, running costs, and even property value. If your EPC rating is lower than you’d like, the good news is that there are money-saving and effective ways to improve it - some of which you can implement immediately. At Vibrant Energy Matters , we help homeowners and landlords identify the most impactful home improvements through our UK-first, exclusive VESA (Vibrant Energy Savings Audit) offering. Plus, we’re offering £500 off our Vibrant Gold Package to help you achieve an even better EPC rating, future-proof your home and reduce both your carbon footprint and reliance on the grid.   Why Improve Your EPC Rating? A more energy-efficient home means lower heating and electricity costs. Homes with better EPC ratings are more attractive to prospective buyers and tenants. Landlords must meet minimum EPC standards, with regulations tightening in the coming years. Some lenders offer better mortgage rates for energy-efficient homes.   Step-by-Step Guide to Boosting Your EPC Rating Quick Wins Switch to LED Bulbs Replacing old halogen or incandescent bulbs with LEDs is one of the simplest ways to cut energy use - LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last significantly longer. Draught-Proof Your Home Block gaps around windows, doors, and chimneys to prevent heat loss. Draught excluders and sealant strips are low-cost solutions that help improve comfort and energy efficiency. Upgrade to a Smart Thermostat Smart thermostats like Nest or Hive optimise heating schedules based on usage patterns. This small change can reduce heating bills by up to 15%. Install Radiator Reflectors These inexpensive panels reflect heat back into the room rather than being absorbed by walls. Install or Top up your Loft Insulation Ensuring you have at least 250mm – 300mm of loft insulation in your roof space will significantly reduce the heat loss rate of your property. In most cases this will generate significant energy bill savings and improve the EPC rating of your property.     Bigger Upgrades for a Long-Term EPC Boost Upgrade Your Boiler If your boiler is over 10 years old, replacing it with an A-rated condensing boiler can dramatically improve efficiency. Modern boilers use less fuel and work more efficiently with thermostats and heating controls. We are government funding specialist with access to the UK Boiler Upgrade Scheme , which offers grants of up to £7,500 for air source and ground source heat pumps and £5,000 for biomass boilers. Improve Wall Insulation Cavity wall insulation can cut heating costs by up to £275 per year. If you have solid walls, internal or external insulation can be even more effective. Our cavity wall insulation service fills the gaps in your walls. This solution prevents heat from escaping, keeping your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer, all while reducing your energy usage. Install Double or Triple Glazing Replacing old single-glazed windows with A-rated double glazing reduces heat loss and improves soundproofing. Consider Renewable Energy Solar panels or air-source heat pumps can significantly lower energy costs while improving your EPC rating. Our Solar PV including Battery reduces your reliance on the grid and lowering your energy bills. This is one of the most effective ways to improve the energy efficiency rating of your home. Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Doors Old, poorly insulated doors can leak heat; replacing them with energy-efficient versions can improve your rating.   How a VESA Helps You Find the Most Cost-Effective Improvements Not all improvements will have the same impact on every home. That’s where a VESA (Vibrant Energy Savings Audit) comes in. Our expert assessors identify the most effective upgrades specific to your home, ensuring you get the best return on investment. Some green energy improvements qualify for government grants or incentives – we will handle sourcing the grants, off shooting your final cost. Exclusive Offer Get £500 Off Our Vibrant Gold Package! For a limited time, Vibrant Energy Matters is offering a £500 discount on our comprehensive Vibrant Gold Package, helping you implement the most impactful EPC improvements. Book your VESA today and start saving on energy bills while improving your home’s value.

When it comes to improving your home’s energy efficiency , most homeowners are familiar with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). But while an EPC provides a general rating, it often falls short in delivering actionable insights and recommendations, unique to a property. That’s where a VESA (Vibrant Energy Savings Audit) steps in, offering a deeper, more practical analysis to help homeowners cut energy costs, future-proof their home and make smarter home upgrades – as well as unlocking and accessing government grants. What is an EPC? An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rates a property’s energy efficiency on a scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). It provides an overview of a home’s energy use and estimated running costs, along with generic recommendations for improvement. However, EPCs have limitations: its basic overview provides a snapshot but lacks detailed insights. The generic recommendations don’t consider the homeowner’s budget, goals, or eligibility for grants . There’s no cost-benefit analysis which means no priority on the most impactful changes. This means homeowners often receive a report but don’t know where to start or which upgrades will offer the best return on investment.   How is a VESA Different? A VESA (Vibrant Energy Savings Audit) goes beyond a standard EPC by offering a comprehensive, specific action plan for homeowners. Here’s how: Through detailed energy efficiency insights, a VESA analyses not just the fabric of the building but also heating systems, insulation , and renewable energy potential. Instead of generic advice, you’ll receive a step-by-step plan showing which upgrades will have the biggest impact – and how to access funding for the installations. Many homeowners qualify for financial support but don’t realise it. A VESA identifies which grants and funding you can apply for, potentially saving you thousands. With a VESA, you’ll get £500 off the Vibrant Gold Package , making energy-saving improvements more affordable, and exclusive deals with our partners such as B&Q, Nissan, Skipton Building Society and much more.   Why Homeowners Need More Than Just an EPC A standard EPC might tell you that your home needs better insulation or a more efficient heating system , but it won’t show you the best order to make improvements for maximum savings, tell you which grants or incentives you qualify for or provide in-depth cost-saving estimates for each upgrade. With energy prices on the rise, making informed decisions about home energy efficiency is more important than ever. With a VESA, you get the most practical, cost-effective sustainable solutions which can really make an impact on your home. A VESA goes beyond outlining the sole benefit to the occupant of reduced energy costs, it also looks at factors such as resultant maintenance and compliance costs, savings from relevant energy tariffs and impacts on the home’s value and potential rental income. Don’t settle for a basic EPC when you could have a personalised energy savings roadmap! Book your VESA assessment today and claim £500 off the Vibrant Gold Package to future-proof your home, save money and reduce your reliance on the grid.