Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has unveiled a new product for clients looking at improving the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of their property via refurbishment.

Combining the benefits of a light refurbishment bridging product wrapped in a term loan, Bridge EPC Refurb provides the borrower with added benefits if the property achieves an EPC ‘C’ or above rating after six months.

The product consists of a six-month bridging loan followed by a term loan. The Bank will discount the standard rate by 20bps on achieving an EPC ‘C’ rating or above, with the client having six months to deliver the improvements. HTB will also pay for the new EPC certificate.

Louisa Sedgwick, managing director, specialist mortgages at Hampshire Trust Bank, said: “The 2025 deadline for EPCs to have a rating of C or above for new tenancies is fast approaching and we are receiving an increasing number of enquiries from our broker partners who have clients looking to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.

“We’re delighted to offer a hybrid product, consisting of a bridging loan for refurbishment and then a term loan at a reduced rate.

“We are always striving to meet the demands of brokers and their clients and we believe we are meeting a real need with Bridge EPC Refurb acknowledging that the live challenge we face is within the UK’s existing housing stock.

“We have built this product in response to the growing requests from our intermediary partners ensuring they can offer a credible solution to landlords allowing them to focus on getting their properties up to fast-approaching energy efficiency standards.”