A Staffordshire mortgage expert is urging home buyers to check whether they can get a green mortgage.

Aga Gronkiewicz, of GRN Financial Services, is reminding buy to let landlords they may be required for newly let properties have an EPC rating of C or above by 2025, and an A, B or C rating for all let homes by 2028.

Green mortgages involve potential better rates, so might mean monthly savings for homebuyers purchasing a property in the highest three rating bands.

GRN Financial Services, based on Bath Street, Leek, is a family business run by Leek residents Aga and Tom. Founded in 2018, GRN are highly rated by customers with more than 60 five star reviews on Google.

Aga said: “Many people looking for a mortgage are unaware that there’s an environmentally friendly option available that could save them money.

“We now advise customers to check the Energy Performance Certificate of any home they are interested in buying. For customers buying a house to live in, this may result in a more competitive rate, and some lenders will offer cashback, but for landlords, going green is going to be essential in the near future.

“The Government is proposing to increase EPC requirements on rental properties. Suggested changes, from 2025, would require rental homes with new tenancies to achieve a rating of C or higher and there’s a further proposal to extend these changes to all tenancies by 2028.”’

A recent piece of research showed a potential problem as around a quarter (23%) of landlords believe their properties are rated a D or lower (source: Shawbrook Bank).

Meanwhile, the Building Back Britain Commission states that, in the average English local authority, 58.4 per cent of homes are below the Energy Performance Certificate band C and it will cost around £200bn to get them up to this standard.

GRN Financial Services offer professional financial planning service for people requiring mortgage and protection advice. Aga is a qualified mortgage adviser and Tom is a specialist in business protection and financial advice.

ENDS

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