Homes with good EPCs are worth on average 14% more.

This claim – which is interesting, since our readers constantly tell us that no one looks at EPCs when buying – comes from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, which says that making energy improvements to a property could boost its value by even more than the average, by as much as 38%.

For an average home, improving its EPC from band G to E, or from band D to B, could mean adding more than £16,000 to the sale price of the property.

In the North-East, improved energy efficiency from band G to E could increase this value by over £25,000 and the average home in the North-West could see £23,000 added to its value.

The DECC's report, which took into account over 300,000 property sales in England between 1995 and 2011, says that its research ‘indicates’ that energy efficiency is now a key factor influencing the sale price of most residential dwellings in England.

Energy and Climate Change minister Greg Barker said: “We have long known the benefits of making energy saving improvements to the home, but this study is real evidence of the huge potential rewards.