We are currently in the midst of a climate emergency and so the energy efficiency of our homes has never been more important.

Our homes use 35% of all the energy in the UK and emit 20% of the carbon dioxide emissions. If the UK Government is to deliver their target of a 78% emissions reduction by 2030, and net-zero by 2050, household emissions need to be addressed.

To that end, I ask that property finder websites include a function to enable potential homeowners and tenants to be able to filter by EPC rating, alongside cost and number of bedrooms.

90% of building stock that will be in use in 2050, have already been built to standards that do not comply with net-zero carbon standards. We need to be retrofitting on average 20,000 homes per week in order to meet legally binding government targets. 

This might seem like a small ask but we need to do whatever we can to drive up consumer awareness and demand better energy efficiency in homes however we can. Perhaps this will assist in pushing forward the retrofit agenda as well as encouraging housebuilders to build net-zero homes as we start to see real value in it.

If I was looking for a house now I would certainly be prioritising my search by looking at homes of an EPC rating of C and above however current databases do not have this option. I ask that all major property search sites consider this suggestion and their responsibility in advocating for our collective future.