Cheapest Ways to Improve Your EPC Rating (From £0 to £500)

You don't have to spend thousands on heat pumps or new windows to improve your EPC rating. In many homes, simple, low-cost changes can move you up a band – or at least get you much closer.

This guide focuses on the cheapest ways to improve your EPC rating, from free behavioural tweaks to upgrades under £500. It's the budget-friendly companion to our main guide: 27 Ways to Improve Your EPC Rating.

Start with free EPC improvements you can do today
See which upgrades under £500 give the biggest EPC gain
Understand where to draw the line and save larger works for later

Before you start, use our EPC checker to see your current rating and recommended improvements.

Step 1: Free EPC improvements (£0 spend)

These measures cost nothing except a bit of time and can still strengthen your EPC position – especially when combined.

1. Use your heating controls more efficiently

EPC assessments assume typical heating patterns, but poorly used controls can still hurt in practice:

Set a realistic temperature (e.g. 19–20°C instead of 22–23°C).
Use a timer or programmer so you're not heating an empty home.
Turn heating off in unused rooms if you have individual controls.

If your current EPC says you have "no time or temperature control", consider adding them when budget allows – we cover that in the paid section below.

2. Close curtains and internal doors

This won't directly change the EPC calculation, but it reinforces the effect of other measures by reducing heat loss.

Close curtains at dusk to keep heat in.
Shut doors between heated and unheated rooms.

These habits make your home feel warmer, which makes it easier to live comfortably at slightly lower thermostat settings.

3. Bleed radiators and balance your system

If radiators are cold at the top, your heating system is not running efficiently.

Bleeding radiators is a simple DIY task using a radiator key.
After bleeding, you may need to re-pressurise the boiler (follow the manual).

This can improve comfort and reduce wasted energy, particularly in older systems.

4. Find and fix obvious draughts (DIY-friendly)

From gaps under doors to unused chimneys, draughts waste heat you've already paid for.

Use basic sealant or draught-excluder tape around leaky windows.
Roll up a towel or use a draught excluder at the bottom of doors.
Block open chimneys temporarily if they're not in use (using safe, purpose-made products).

Once you know where the worst draughts are, you can tackle them more permanently when you have budget available.

For more free and £0–£50 ideas, see the quick-win section of 27 Ways to Improve Your EPC Rating.

Step 2: Low-cost upgrades under £100

These are high-ROI improvements that fit into most household budgets.

5. Swap to LED lighting throughout

If your EPC report mentions "Low energy lighting", moving to 100% LEDs is an easy win.

Replace remaining halogens and incandescents with LED bulbs.
Prioritise rooms you use most (kitchen, living room, hallway).

Typical cost: £20–£80, with annual savings of £40–£80+ and a small EPC uplift.

6. Add hot water cylinder insulation

If your hot water cylinder doesn't have a modern jacket:

Fit a BS-compliant cylinder jacket (often around £25–£40).
Lag nearby hot water pipes to reduce heat loss.

This is a classic low-cost measure that can appear in EPC recommendations, particularly in older homes with tanks.

7. Basic draught proofing kit

Upgrade your temporary draught fixes using inexpensive kits:

Letterbox brush and draught-proof flap
Rubber seals for door and window frames
Foam strips around loft hatches

You can typically complete a small house for £50–£100.

Step 3: High impact under £500

Once you've tackled free and sub-£100 improvements, consider a few strategic upgrades under £500.

8. Loft insulation top-up (DIY or partial)

Full loft insulation jobs can cost more than £500, but you may be able to:

Do a DIY top-up where safe, especially in easily accessible lofts.
Focus on the worst areas first (thin or missing insulation).

Even partial improvements can reduce heat loss and support a better EPC score. For a full overview, see Does Loft Insulation Improve Your EPC?.

9. Upgrade heating controls

If your EPC indicates poor heating controls, improving them can be a cost-effective step:

Install a room thermostat if you don't have one.
Add TRVs (thermostatic radiator valves) to key rooms.
Consider a smart thermostat with scheduling and remote control.

Typical spend: £200–£500 depending on what's already installed. Controls won't fix a very old boiler, but they can squeeze more value from the system you have.

10. Improve floor insulation in targeted areas

You don't have to insulate entire floors at once. Under suspended timber floors, you may be able to:

Insulate accessible sections from below (e.g. from a cellar).
Combine with other works (e.g. when lifting boards for plumbing).

Costs vary widely, but selective work can stay under £500 if access is simple.

When low-cost options aren't enough

If you're aiming to move from E to C or D to B, low-cost measures might not be sufficient on their own. In that case:

Use our EPC checker to see how far your potential rating is from your current band.
Read How to Improve EPC from D to C or How to Improve EPC from E to D for band-specific guidance.
Consider mid-range upgrades like cavity wall insulation or a boiler replacement if recommended.

We also have specialist content for older homes: How to Improve EPC on Victorian House.

Low-cost doesn't mean low quality

Low-cost EPC improvements are not about cutting corners. In many cases, they simply mean:

Fixing obvious inefficiencies (draughts, missing insulation, poor controls).
Getting the most from the heating system you already have.
Doing preparatory work that makes future upgrades more effective.

From there, you can decide whether bigger investments like new boilers, heat pumps or solar panels are worthwhile:

Check also whether you qualify for support under national or local schemes – see Home Energy Grants UK 2025 for an overview of grants and funding.

FAQs

What is the cheapest way to improve EPC rating?

The absolute cheapest ways are behavioural and DIY: using heating controls properly, draught proofing, LED lighting, and insulating hot water tanks. After that, loft insulation and cavity wall insulation often provide the best value for money per EPC point gained.

Can I improve my EPC rating without spending money?

You can make some progress through free actions – particularly if your current setup is very inefficient. But to move a full band (e.g. from E to D or D to C), you'll almost always need to invest in insulation or heating upgrades. We cover the free-first approach in 27 Ways to Improve Your EPC Rating.

Is it worth spending money just to improve EPC?

It depends on your goals:

Selling soon? A better EPC can make the property more attractive and support price negotiations.
Landlord? You may need improvements to meet minimum standards – see EPC Rules for Landlords 2025–2030.
Owner-occupier? Many EPC improvements also reduce bills and improve comfort, so you benefit directly.

What should I do next?

Use the EPC checker to view your current rating and recommendations.
Tick off all free and sub-£100 steps.
Plan one or two sub-£500 upgrades that match your EPC recommendations.
Revisit our main guide, 27 Ways to Improve Your EPC Rating, to plan medium and long-term improvements.

Taken together, these low-cost actions can make a surprisingly big difference to both your EPC rating and your monthly bills.