How to improve your home energy rating: a checklist

Know where you start

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Find your home’s energy certificate or rating, if it has one.
UK: look up your EPC for free on GOV.UK. It rates homes from A (best) to G and is valid for 10 years. Elsewhere, ask your national energy agency.
Pull 12 months of energy bills and note the units used, not just the dollars.
Kilowatt-hours, therms or cubic meters let you compare before and after, even when prices change.
Read the improvements your rating or assessment recommends.
UK: your EPC lists steps to improve, and GOV.UK has a free tool with recommendations for homes in England and Wales.
Book a professional home energy assessment, also called an energy audit.
Ask what it includes and whether your utility offers one.
Note the type and age of your heating, cooling and water heater.
ENERGY STAR suggests having heating and cooling equipment over 10 years old checked by a professional.

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Seal air leaks: weatherstrip doors and caulk around windows.
ENERGY STAR says sealing and insulating can save up to 10% on your yearly energy bills.
Turn the thermostat back 7–10°F (about 4–6°C) for 8 hours a day, while you sleep or are out.
The Department of Energy puts the savings at up to 10% a year. With a heat pump, ask first: setbacks haven’t generally been recommended for them.
Set the water heater to 120°F (about 49°C).
The Department of Energy says it cuts scalding risk and can save money. If someone at home has a weakened immune system or chronic respiratory disease, you may want 140°F.
Swap any remaining incandescent bulbs for LEDs.
The average household can save more than $200 a year with LED lighting, according to the Department of Energy.
Seal and insulate ducts that run through the attic, crawlspace or garage.
ENERGY STAR says it can make heating and cooling up to 20% more efficient.
Have your heating and cooling serviced once a year.
ENERGY STAR compares it to a tune-up for your car.

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Check your attic insulation and top it up if it’s thin.
ENERGY STAR publishes recommended insulation levels for each US climate zone.
Ask your assessor whether walls, floors or the basement are worth insulating.
Before replacing windows, do the payback math.
Sealing the windows you have is the cheap first step. For new ones, divide the cost after rebates by the yearly savings.

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Fix big air leaks and ducts before you size new heating or cooling.
ENERGY STAR says these are sometimes the real source of the problem, not the equipment.
When heating or cooling needs replacing, compare a heat pump with your current system.
The heat pump calculator uses your own prices; the heat pump checklist covers what to ask.
Look at solar once the cheaper fixes are done.
The solar checklist gets you ready for quotes.

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US: don’t count on federal tax credits for new upgrades.
The IRS energy efficiency and residential clean energy credits ended at the end of 2025.
US: ask your State Energy Office about Home Energy Rebates, and your utility about its programs.
The DOE says the rebates are available in select states; ENERGY STAR’s rebate finder lists offers by zip code.
UK: check GOV.UK for grants, such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for heat pumps in England and Wales.
Installing insulation, heat pumps or solar panels in a home is zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027.
Rank the upgrades by payback: cost after rebates divided by yearly savings.
For example, $1,200 of work that saves $150 a year pays for itself in 8 years.

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Get a new rating once the work is done.
UK: a new EPC shows your new band, and you need a valid one to sell or rent.
After a full season, compare your energy use with the year before.
Keep invoices, product specs and certificates together.
You’ll need them for rebates, and buyers may ask.