Green home improvements can make your property more energy efficient, reduce wasted energy and improve comfort. They can range from loft insulation and better heating controls to larger projects such as solar panels or a heat pump.
Before you start, check the condition of your home, your EPC rating, the likely benefit and how you will fund the work.
Before making green home improvements
Start with your EPC
Your EPC can highlight where your home loses energy and which improvements may be worth considering first.
Reduce heat loss first
Insulation and draught-proofing can improve comfort and help reduce the amount of energy your home needs.
Check the cost against the benefit
Compare the upfront cost with potential energy savings, comfort and any longer-term impact on your property.
Plan how you’ll pay for it
Compare savings, grants and borrowing options before deciding how to fund the work.
Which green home improvements could you make?
The right energy-efficient improvements depend on the age, condition and layout of your property. Some are simple upgrades, while others involve bigger changes to how your home uses or produces energy.
Heat retention
Insulation
Insulation can reduce heat loss through the roof, walls or floors. For many homes, this is a sensible place to start.
Heating efficiency
Heating and controls
Heating and controls may help you use energy more effectively, particularly if your current system is old or difficult to manage.
Renewable energy
Solar panels
Solar panels can generate electricity where the roof, orientation and household energy use make them suitable.
Reducing heat loss
Windows and draught-proofing
Windows and draught-proofing may help reduce unwanted heat loss, especially in homes with older glazing or poorly fitted doors.
Alternative heating
Low-carbon heating
Low-carbon heating, including heat pumps, may suit some properties. However, the home usually needs to retain heat well for the system to work efficiently.
Which improvements could improve your EPC rating?
If you are wondering how to improve EPC rating, start by checking the recommendations on your current certificate.
Measures that can improve EPC rating may include insulation, heating controls, more efficient heating, solar panels, low-energy lighting and better glazing. The impact depends on the property and what is already installed.
For example, loft insulation may make a bigger difference in a poorly insulated home than in one that already performs well.
Are grants available for green home improvements?
Green home grants and other energy efficiency grants may help with some projects, but availability and eligibility can change.
Support can depend on income, property type, EPC rating, heating system, location and the work planned. Some home improvement grants also require approved installers or specific measures.
Therefore, check current government, local authority or energy supplier guidance before relying on a grant.
Muttuo does not arrange grant funding. However, if a grant only covers part of the work, we can help you review mortgage options for the rest.
How could you fund green home improvements?
There is no single best way to pay for the work.
Funding route
When it may be considered
Savings
Smaller projects or avoiding extra borrowing
Grant support
Eligible energy-efficiency work
Further advance
Borrowing more from your current lender
Remortgage
Changing mortgage while raising funds
Personal loan
Some smaller projects with fixed repayments
A remortgage for home improvements may let you raise money against your property while changing the deal. However, check any early repayment charge, fees, new rate and total borrowing cost first.
You may also see terms such as home improvement mortgage, mortgage for home improvements or green home improvement loan. These are not always separate mortgage types. Funding may instead come through a further advance, remortgage or another form of borrowing.
Are green home improvements worth the cost?
The answer depends on what you want the work to achieve.
A project may reduce energy use, improve comfort or support a stronger EPC rating. However, compare those benefits with the upfront cost, maintenance needs and how long you expect to own the property.
Funding matters too. Lower energy use may help household bills, but borrowing over many years can add interest to the overall cost.
Avoid assuming every improvement will increase your home’s value by what you spend. Property value depends on factors such as location, condition and buyer demand.
Which green improvements should you do first?
A sensible order is to understand where your home is losing energy before investing in larger upgrades.
01 Assess
Check the property
Review your EPC, insulation, heating system and obvious areas of heat loss.
02 Fabric
Improve the building fabric
Deal with suitable insulation, draughts and ventilation before moving to more complex technology.
03 Heating
Improve heating efficiency
Review heating controls and whether your existing system still suits the property.
04 Larger upgrades
Consider bigger upgrades
Once the basics are working well, solar panels or low-carbon heating may make more sense.
How Muttuo Mortgages can help
Green mortgage rates and eligibility vary by lender, so compare them with standard mortgage deals before you decide.
Review whether you could borrow more on your current mortgage
Compare mortgage options from more than 100 lenders
Explore remortgage, further advance and green mortgage options
Talk through your options
Explore ways to fund home improvements and understand which mortgage options may suit your property and plans.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Your green home improvements questions answered
What are green home improvements?
They are changes designed to improve a property’s energy efficiency, such as insulation, heating upgrades, solar panels, draught-proofing and better glazing.
What are the best green home improvements?
The best choice depends on the property. In many homes, tackling heat loss before adding larger technology is a sensible starting point.
How can I improve my EPC rating?
The mortgage is usually repaid by selling your home after the final borrower dies. Your estate receives any money left.
Can I remortgage for home improvements?
You may be able to raise extra funds when remortgaging, subject to affordability, equity and lender criteria.
Can green home improvements help me qualify for a green mortgage?
Possibly. Some green mortgages use EPC criteria or other energy-efficiency requirements. Improving your home does not guarantee eligibility.
