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Quantifying the Measurement Error on England and Wales EPC Ratings

Author

Listed:
  • Jenny Crawley

    (UCL Energy Institute, University College London, London WC1H 0NN, UK)

  • Phillip Biddulph

    (UCL Energy Institute, University College London, London WC1H 0NN, UK)

  • Paul J. Northrop

    (Department of Statistical Science, University College London, London WC1H 0NN, UK)

  • Jez Wingfield

    (UCL Energy Institute, University College London, London WC1H 0NN, UK)

  • Tadj Oreszczyn

    (UCL Energy Institute, University College London, London WC1H 0NN, UK)

  • Cliff Elwell

    (UCL Energy Institute, University College London, London WC1H 0NN, UK)

Abstract

Domestic Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are used in the UK to provide energy efficiency ratings for use in policy and investment decisions on individual dwellings and at a stock level. There is evidence that the process of creating an EPC introduces measurement error such that repeat assessments of the same property give different ratings, compromising their reliability. This study presents a novel error analysis to estimate the size of this effect, using repeated EPC assessments of 1.6 million existing dwellings in England and Wales. A statistical model of how measurement error contributes to variation between repeated measurements is set out, and exploratory data analysis is used to decide how to apply this model to the available data. The results predict that the one standard deviation measurement error decreases with EPC rating, from around ± 8.0 EPC points on a rating of 35 to ±2.4 on a rating of 85. This predicted error is higher than the limit recommended in UK guidance except in very efficient buildings; it can also result in dwellings being rated in the wrong EPC band, for example it was estimated that 24% of band D homes are rated as band C.

Suggested Citation

  • Jenny Crawley & Phillip Biddulph & Paul J. Northrop & Jez Wingfield & Tadj Oreszczyn & Cliff Elwell, 2019. "Quantifying the Measurement Error on England and Wales EPC Ratings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-19, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:18:p:3523-:d:266981
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Simon Wenninger & Christian Wiethe, 2021. "Benchmarking Energy Quantification Methods to Predict Heating Energy Performance of Residential Buildings in Germany," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 63(3), pages 223-242, June.
    2. Chaudhuri, Kausik & Huaccha, Gissell, 2023. "Who bears the energy cost? Local income deprivation and the household energy efficiency gap," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PA).
    3. Didem Gunes Yilmaz & Fatma Cesur, 2023. "A Study for the Improvement of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) System in Turkey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-24, September.
    4. Ferentinos, Konstantinos & Gibberd, Alex & Guin, Benjamin, 2021. "Climate policy and transition risk in the housing market," Bank of England working papers 918, Bank of England.
    5. Phil Hubbard & Jon Reades & Hendrik Walter & Catrin Preston, 2024. "Shrinking homes? The geographies of small domestic properties in London, 2010–2021," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 51(5), pages 1137-1152, June.
    6. Ferentinos, Konstantinos & Gibberd, Alex & Guin, Benjamin, 2023. "Stranded houses? The price effect of a minimum energy efficiency standard," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    7. Ellen Webborn & Jessica Few & Eoghan McKenna & Simon Elam & Martin Pullinger & Ben Anderson & David Shipworth & Tadj Oreszczyn, 2021. "The SERL Observatory Dataset: Longitudinal Smart Meter Electricity and Gas Data, Survey, EPC and Climate Data for over 13,000 Households in Great Britain," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-37, October.
    8. Lesley Thomson & David Jenkins, 2023. "The Use of Real Energy Consumption Data in Characterising Residential Energy Demand with an Inventory of UK Datasets," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-29, August.
    9. Jenny Crawley & Despina Manouseli & Peter Mallaburn & Cliff Elwell, 2022. "An Empirical Energy Demand Flexibility Metric for Residential Properties," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-18, July.

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