The absence of a heat pump means a drop in the value of the house according to government plans

Households that refuse to install heat pumps could see their property lose value as part of a government review.

A ‘top-to-bottom’ look at how Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are calculated will boost the scores of households that use heat pumps, remote-controlled thermostats and other green inventions backed by ministers.

The system, which will be in place by 2025, is designed to reflect the government’s commitment to decarbonizing homes as part of its Net Zero campaign.

But it can also mean that those who don’t adopt green technology in their homes will receive a lower score, which can lower a property’s value or make it harder to rent.

Landlords have already been told that properties rated below ‘C’ will be illegal to rent after 2027, while mortgage lenders have offered preferential rates to those who buy homes rated ‘A’ or ‘B’ .

The latest move to change the calculations behind EPCs could force homeowners to adopt home energy changes or face costly downgrade.

The Building Research Establishment, which is leading the review, said the new system would be “better suited to modern and dynamic technologies that will help decarbonise the UK’s building stock, such as heat pumps, renewables, storage technologies and intelligent control devices”.

It will also be used in the Future Homes standard, which states that new homes built from 2025 must have low-carbon heating systems.