We’re launching our brand new service – OVO Energy Experts

Home – it’s somewhere we want to feel warm and comfortable. But that means using energy for heating and hot water, and to power our appliances and devices. And with the cost of energy going up, we know that can be hard.

Did you know the UK’s homes are, on average, less energy efficient than those in other European countries¹? Studies show that more than £10bn could be saved each year if our leaky homes were upgraded to higher energy efficiency standards². 

Plus, more than 20% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from our homes³. That’s a huge number that we need to bring down if we’re to fight the climate crisis.

Introducing OVO Energy Experts 

To save energy and stay warm, it helps to have an energy efficient home. So we've launched our new OVO Energy Experts service – and what's more, you can book now! It aims to help our customers take action to improve their homes’ energy efficiency.

The more energy efficient your home, the less heat will escape, and the less energy your home needs to use. That means you can save money, cut carbon, and keep your home cosy. That’s a win for our customers, and a win against climate change!

Here’s what customers will get:

• A visit from an OVO Energy Expert: This is a detailed, room-by-room assessment of your home’s energy efficiency by a certified expert. Think of it like an MOT for your home.
• A personalised Home Health report: This report gives you practical advice and shows the steps you could take to help your home become more energy efficient. There’ll also be details of any funding that might be available to you.
• A Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): This is an officially recognised certificate of your home’s energy efficiency.

The advice is unique to your home, so you can carry out the right upgrades to make it more energy efficient⁴. But there’s absolutely no obligation to follow any of our recommendations.

A visit from an OVO Energy Expert

We know every home is different. So our certified energy expert can give you an idea of the upgrades that could help make your home more energy efficient. Here’s what they’ll do:

• They’ll begin in the loft if you have one, and work their way down and around your home.
• They’ll consider what type of home you have, how old it is, if you’ve got an extension or a conservatory, plus any energy-saving devices you already have.
• They’ll look at your current wall thickness, the condition of your windows, and the heating system.
• They’ll also take time to understand how you use energy. And any future plans you have that might affect your energy usage. This’ll make sure they can give you advice that’s tailored to you. 
• Depending on the size of your home, the visit will last about 2 hours. Plus there’ll be some extra time to answer any questions you might have.

A personalised Home Health report

After their visit, your energy expert will pull together their findings to create your Home Health report. Here’s what’s in it:

• Our recommendations for the upgrades you could carry out in your home, big and small.
• These might include insulation, an air or ground source heat pump, solar panels, double glazing, new doors, energy-saving lighting, or heating controls.
• Info on any funding that might be available to you to make these upgrades, and who to contact about installing them. 
• Top energy-saving tips from the Energy Saving Trust – things you can do free of charge to save money.
• Any other ways OVO Energy can support you to improve the energy efficiency of your home.

A Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a home energy survey that shows you how energy efficient your home is. It’s a legal requirement to have an EPC if you're selling, leasing or renting your home. But even if you're not selling, it's worth looking at the EPC to find out how you could save money and cut carbon.

An EPC will give your home an energy rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). It lasts for 10 years. It‘ll show:

• Your home’s primary energy use (the amount of energy it uses).
• Your home’s current impact on the environment and the rating it could potentially get to.
• The amount of carbon your home’s producing and how much that could be reduced.
• Upgrades that could improve your home’s energy efficiency, like low-energy lighting, draught-proofing, heating controls, double-glazed windows, and ground source heat pumps.

Once your energy expert has visited, they’ll send a new EPC for your home to the government’s EPC register. You’ll get a copy of it too.