More Cornwall homes now earn the rare A energy rating

If you’ve ever looked at your home’s EPC certificate and winced at the letter staring back, new figures suggest Cornwall’s housing stock is edging in the right direction, even if a top grade is still the exception rather than the rule.

What the figures show

A new study by Property Buyers Today has tracked how energy efficiency ratings on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) lodged in Cornwall have shifted between Q2 2025 and Q2 2026, using government EPC statistics for England and Wales.

Overall lodgements were down. Cornwall recorded 4,742 EPC lodgements in Q2 2026, against 4,991 in the same quarter of 2025, a drop of 5.0 per cent. But within that smaller total, the mix of ratings improved.

A-rated lodgements rose from 190 to 228, up 20.0 per cent, the biggest percentage swing anywhere on the scale. B-rated lodgements held steady at 567. Combined, A and B ratings together rose from 757 to 795, an increase of 5.0 per cent, even as the total number of certificates lodged fell.

Where the middle and bottom of the scale moved

C-rated lodgements slipped from 1,726 to 1,662, a fall of 3.7 per cent. D-rated lodgements saw a sharper drop, down 10.1 per cent from 1,390 to 1,250.

Further down the scale, the trend was consistently downward. E-rated lodgements fell 1.3 per cent, from 718 to 709. F-rated lodgements dropped 15.5 per cent, from 296 to 250. And G-rated lodgements, the lowest and least efficient band, fell 26.9 per cent, from 104 to 76.

Taken together, the share of Cornwall lodgements rated A or B rose from around 15 per cent to nearly 17 per cent year on year.

What it means for homeowners and buyers

Saif Derzi, founder of Property Buyers Today, said the movement at both ends of the scale was the most telling part of the data.

“It is encouraging to see the number of A-rated EPC lodgements increase in Cornwall. This rating is rare and hard to achieve,” Saif said. “Just as significant is the movement further down the scale, with fewer properties rated D, E or G. That reflects steady improvement across the wider housing stock.”

He added that the figures were a reminder to look at the bigger picture rather than a single upgrade in isolation. “For homeowners and buyers, this highlights the importance of looking beyond individual improvements and considering the wider energy efficiency of a property. With energy costs continuing to affect household budgets, an EPC rating can play an increasingly important role when assessing the long-term affordability and appeal of a home.”

An A rating remains a small slice of Cornwall’s overall housing stock, just 228 out of 4,742 lodgements in the latest quarter. But with fewer properties landing in the F and G bands than a year ago, the direction of travel is the story the numbers tell.

📷Engineer writing formulas and diagrams about thermal insulation and buildings energy efficiency - concept with energy certification classes