Projects

As easy as EPC

This research, on behalf of Consumer Focus, explored consumers’ reactions to the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). To understand both the EPC’s current role as well as its potential role moving forward, the research involved the development of stimulus materials to test reactions to different versions of the document in terms of both format and content.

Key findings include:

• Energy efficiency currently plays a weak role in consumers’ decision making in the home buying process. While it seems a normalised part of trying to reduce running costs in situ in the home and for purchasing White Goods, this has not yet transferred to home purchasing.
• Recognition and general awareness of the EPC among home owners is relatively high, although this does not translate into either detailed understanding or home buyers taking action.
• Reactions to the EPC as it stands are largely negative, because of four main reasons: the length of the document; the language; the overall ‘look and feel’; and, for some, scepticism about the underpinning methodology.
• Participants’ reactions to alternative designs suggest that a range of simple improvements could usefully be made to the EPC in terms of both format and content.