Build To Rent operator pledges dramatic EPC improvement

The owners of one of the first Build To Rent schemes in Edinburgh is bidding to improve the EPC rating while reducing energy bills for residents.

Kingsford Group has secured a dedicated Energy Performance Certificate mprovement Loan from Secure Trust Bank Real Estate Finance to achieve a minimum EPC rating of C across a number of apartments at its historic Kingsford Residence, an Edwardian building which was converted into 74 flats in 2017. 

The EPC Improvement Loan will fund the installation of secondary glazing; once it reaches a C-rating, further measures will be introduced such as solar panels, community battery and heat pump technology.

Alex Watts, chief executive of Kingsford Group, says: “The loan is essential to our ambitions to transform the energy performance towards fully renewable net-zero operation. As a landlord you have the ability to make a difference. Fundamentally, our team and clients care about the future of the planet and this means exceeding minimum standards wherever possible.”

Secure Trust Bank’s EPC Improvement Loan, available only to the bank’s existing customers, is designed to help residential landlords remediate their property portfolios with energy-saving solutions. The new product is a top-up to existing loans, providing fixed sums of £6,500 and £13,000 for EPC D and EPC E-rated assets respectively.