C-Change Discounts

C-Change explained

Housing accounts for a significant amount of the UK’s carbon emissions. To help combat climate change, we have developed our innovative C-Change mortgage discounts.

These discounts reduce your mortgage interest rate based on the energy efficiency of your property and are applied for the lifetime of your mortgage with us. Any discount for which you're eligible will be applied upon completion of your project.

94% of new residential mortgage customers
qualify for a discount*

*Calculated February 2021

Are you eligible?

94% of our residential mortgage customers are eligible for one of our C-Change discounts. You could be eligible for a discount if you’re:

  • constructing an energy-efficient self-build
  • converting a redundant building
  • renovating a dilapidated property
  • purchasing an energy-efficient new build

As easy as 1, 2, 3...

1 Take out your mortgage with Ecology

2 Build your new home or transform an existing property

3 Confirm your revised energy rating and we'll calculate your discounted rate

Discounts of

      to      

off our variable rate

How much can I save?

Once it’s been applied, the discount will be payable for the duration of the mortgage term held with Ecology.

The example shows a £224,500 mortgage over a 25-year term, payable at our variable rate (currently 6.29%). It compares the total amount payable without a discount, with the total amount payable should your project improve from an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of D to an EPC rating of A after 12 months within the 25-year mortgage term, so achieving a 0.75% discount on our variable rate.

Total amount payable on VR* £447,179.05
The overall cost for comparison is 6.5% APRC representative
Total amount payable with a 0.75% C-Change discount** £418,471.65
The overall cost for comparison is 5.8% APRC representative

* A mortgage of £224,500 payable over 25 years on a variable rate of 6.29% would require 300 monthly payments of £1,486.51. The total amount payable would be £447,179.05 made up of the loan amount plus interest (£221,454.05) and a mortgage application fee of £600 and a valuation fee of £625 (assuming a purchase price of £350,000). This means you'll pay back £1.98 for every £1 borrowed.

** Require 12 monthly repayments of £1486.51. This is then followed by 288 monthly repayments of £1,386.84 (monthly reduction due to C-Change discount being applied upon completion of the project). The total amount payable would be £418,471.65 made up of the loan amount plus interest and fees (£600 application fee and £625 valuation fee), assuming a purchase price of £350,000. This means you'll pay back £1.86 for every £1 borrowed.

Find my discount

Find out which of our three C-Change discounts you may be eligible for.

Sustainable Homes Discount

For projects such as self-builds, new builds and conversions, which achieve high energy-efficiency standards

Find out more

Retrofit Discount

For properties undergoing significant renovation works that will improve energy efficiency

Find out more

Energy Improvements Discount

For existing home owners wanting to carry out energy-efficient home improvements

Find out more

Our C-Change Mortgages

We offer three types of mortgage discount

Sustainable Homes Discount

For new and existing homes achieving high-energy standards.

What will I need to do?

You'll need to provide the following before the Sustainable Homes Discount is applied:

  • Confirmation your property is fully completed
  • The final energy certification

We'll then reduce your mortgage interest rate by the appropriate discount for the rest of your mortgage term.

How does the discount work?

Once you've completed your property, confirm your energy rating to us and we'll calculate your discounted rate.

Our Sustainable Homes Discount applies to properties with an EPC rating of A (SAP rating 110+) (++) through to B (SAP rating 88-91), as well as Passivhaus, CarbonLite and PHPP Modelled builds.

What energy standard does my property need to be?

Our Sustainable Homes discounts support new builds, existing homes and retrofits that achieve particular energy standards (see table). There are four tiers of discount available, which are linked to the energy standard of your property:

Energy StandardRatingsSVR (Standard Variable Rate)Discount %Variable Mortgage Rate
PassivhausPassivhaus6.29%1.50%4.79%. The overall cost for comparison is 5.0% APRC
PassivhausPHPP Modelled6.29%0.75%5.54%. The overall cost for comparison is 5.8% APRC
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)A (SAP rating 110+) (++)6.29%1.25%5.04%. The overall cost for comparison is 5.2% APRC
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)A (SAP rating 100-109) (+)6.29%1.00%5.29%. The overall cost for comparison is 5.5% APRC
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)A (SAP rating 92-99)6.29%0.75%5.54%. The overall cost for comparison is 5.8% APRC
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)B (SAP rating 88-91)6.29%0.50%5.79%. The overall cost for comparison is 6.0% APRC
Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB)AECB CarbonLite Building Standard6.29%1.00%5.29%. The overall cost for comparison is 5.5% APRC
What will I need to do?

You’ll need to provide the following before the Sustainable Homes discount is applied:

  • confirmation your property is fully completed
  • the final energy certification

We will then reduce your mortgage interest rate by the appropriate discount for the remaining duration of your mortgage term.

What Energy Performance Certificate scale do I use?

The energy performance certificate has two scales, one for energy efficiency and the second for environmental impact.

Your mortgage can qualify for one of the discounts based on whichever rating is higher of the two.

  • Energy efficiency is a measure of a home’s overall efficiency.
  • Environmental impact is a measure of a home’s impact on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
What if my property does not achieve the recognised energy standards?

Our lending approach is to support energy efficient housing that protects our future environment. We do recognise that unusual projects do not always conform to the recognised standards in the table above but are still really energy efficient and sustainable buildings. Common examples of these are where the property is built from natural materials; straw bale, hempcrete, rammed earth and earth shelter buildings are just a few examples.

If you feel you property falls into this category, please contact our Mortgage Team.

Retrofit Discount

For renovations that will improve energy efficiency.

When will I qualify?

You’ll need to provide a final Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for your property once all your renovation works are completed.

We'll then compare it to the original EPC to determine your discount.

How the discount works

A 0.25% discount will be awarded for each grade improvement made to your property. We'll then reduce your mortgage interest rate by the appropriate amount for the rest of the mortgage term held with Ecology.

What Energy Performance Certificate scale do I use?

The energy performance certificate has two scales, one for energy efficiency and the second for environmental impact.

Your mortgage can qualify for one of the discounts based on whichever rating is higher of the two.

  • Energy efficiency is a measure of a home’s overall efficiency.
  • Environmental impact is a measure of a home’s impact on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
What energy standards are recognised?

Most properties in the UK are issued with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which measures the building’s current energy efficiency and its potential efficiency. We have developed our Retrofit discounts to reward renovators who improve the energy efficiency of their property. On the completion of your renovation, a discount of 0.25% off your interest rate is awarded for every EPC grade improvement you make to the property.

We recognise that some renovation projects go beyond the EPC criteria, so we also include the Passivhaus EnerPHit standard and the AECB Standard Retrofit in our renovation discount group.

Energy StandardRatingsVR (Variable Rate)Discount %Variable Mortgage Rate
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)Rating improvement6.29%0.25% for each grade6.04%-4.79%. The overall cost for comparison is 6.3% APRC.
PassivhausEnerPHit or EnerPHit+i6.29%1.50%4.79%. The overall cost for comparison is 5.0% APRC
PassivhausEnerPHit (PHPP Modelled)6.29%0.75%5.54%. The overall cost for comparison is 5.8% APRC
Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB)AECB CarbonLite Building Standard6.29%1.00%5.29%. The overall cost for comparison is 5.5% APRC

Energy Improvements Discount

For existing home owners wanting to carry out energy-efficient home improvements.

When will I qualify?

You will be eligible for the discount on completion of the works and when you provide supporting invoices that show these works are completed. We will then confirm your discount and what your reduced mortgage repayments will be.

What energy improvement works qualify?

The following list is under constant review and, where possible, we’ll incorporate your suggestions for inclusion. Please see our C-Change brochure for more information on each of these measures.

  • Installing floor, wall and roof installation
  • Wind turbines
  • Double or triple glazing
  • Ground source heat pumps
  • Wet underfloor heating systems
  • Biomass heating
  • Installing a condensing boiler
  • Heat recovery systems
  • Solar water heating
  • Installing low water-use appliances
  • Photovoltaics
  • Rain water harvesting

How does the discount work?

The amount spent on the qualifying works will be eligible for a 1% reduction from our standard variable interest rate. The remaining amount of your mortgage will be charged at our standard variable interest rate.

The discount is payable for the duration of your mortgage term held with Ecology.

Energy improvement measures which can
benefit from the discount		 SVR (Standard Variable Rate) Discount % applied to funds used
for energy improvements		 Variable
Mortgage Rate

Energy improvement measures which can benefit from the discount

  • Floor, wall and roof insulation
  • Double or triple glazing
  • Wet underfloor heating systems
  • High-efficiency condensing boilers
  • Solar water heating
  • Photovoltaics
  • Wind turbines
  • Ground source heat pumps
  • Biomass heating
  • Heat recovery systems
  • Low water-use appliances
  • Rain water harvesting

SVR (Standard Variable Rate)

6.29%

Discount % applied to funds used for energy improvements

1.00% applied on funds borrowed for qualifying energy improvement works (see energy improvement measures in this table)

Variable Mortgage Rate

5.29%

The overall cost for comparison is 5.5% APRC
(Our current 6.29%  Standard Variable Mortgage Rate will apply to the rest of the mortgage)

For more information, please download our C-Change Discount Leaflet

Download here

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