Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/296721 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
ESRI Working Paper No. 749
Publisher: 
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Dublin
Abstract: 
This paper evaluates the extent with which Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) reflect observed energy used for heating. We use high-frequency smart thermostat panel data in combination with building characteristics and hourly weather information. We exploit variations in boiler operation in the neighborhood of a steady state indoor temperature to elicit the predictive power of an EPC rating on energy use for heating. We find that the implied energy saving of upgrading from the lowest to highest EPC category is more than 3.5 times greater than that identified through ex-post analysis; boiler time operation is 52% greater among the lowest EPC-rated properties relative to the highest, while the EPC rating itself suggest a 183% difference in energy requirements. The findings cast doubt on the efficacy of public energy efficiency retrofit targets aligned to specific EPC standards.
Subjects: 
Building energy performance certificates
Smart thermostat
Exante energy use
Ex-post evaluations
Energy efficiency
Climate change
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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