Understand your home's energy rating, then act on it
Your Energy Performance Certificate already lists what is wrong with your home and what would fix it. Most households never read it because it arrives as a PDF full of assessor language. Sapling reads it for you, free.
From rating to a decision you can defend
Your current rating
The A to G band on file for your address, with what it means in practice.
Ratings explainedRunning cost context
Estimated energy costs and the potential saving if recommended measures are installed.
Recommended measures
Insulation, glazing, heating and controls upgrades as recorded on the certificate.
Moving from D to CA report you own
Export it and take it to any installer, surveyor or advisor you choose.
Before you spend anything
A poor rating is not automatically a reason to replace a boiler or fit a heat pump. The certificate usually points at fabric first: loft insulation, cavity walls, draught-proofing and glazing, because those reduce the heat you need before you change how you make it.
If your certificate is more than a few years old, or you have already improved the property, the recorded rating may understate your home. A fresh assessment can be worth the fee in that case.
Funding support exists for lower-income and vulnerable households through schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation and the Great British Insulation Scheme. Check your rating first, since eligibility often depends on it. Our guide to scheme eligibility covers the detail.
Check your home now
Free, no sign-up, official UK Government data.
Questions households ask us most
How do I find my home’s EPC rating for free?
Enter your postcode into the Sapling lookup, choose your address, and the tool returns the certificate held on the official UK Government EPC register for England and Wales. There is no sign-up and no charge.
How long does an EPC last?
An Energy Performance Certificate is valid for ten years from the date it was lodged. If yours has expired, or you have improved the property since, a new assessment by an accredited domestic energy assessor will give a more accurate rating.
Which upgrade should I do first?
Fabric measures usually come first: loft insulation, cavity or solid wall insulation, draught-proofing and glazing. They cut the amount of heat your home needs before you change how that heat is produced, which improves the payback of any later heating upgrade.
Will a better EPC rating actually reduce my bills?
A higher band reflects lower modelled energy demand, so in practice better-rated homes cost less to heat. The certificate lists an estimated saving for each recommended measure, which is a modelled figure rather than a quote.
Can I get help paying for improvements?
Funding routes such as ECO4 and the Warm Homes Local Grant support lower-income and vulnerable households, and eligibility usually depends on your EPC band being D to G. Check your rating first, then check the scheme criteria.
More detail on funding routes in our 2026 Warm Homes and retrofit funding guide.
Not sure what your certificate is telling you?
Send us the basics and a person will point you to the right next action, whether that is a quick fix, a funded scheme or a full survey.
Ask about your home
Tell us a little about your property and what you need. We only ask for what is needed to point you in the right direction.
Read your certificate in plain English
Enter your postcode and see the official record for your address.