Complaint
A viewer complained about an item examining the impact installing heat pumps can have on Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings. The viewer argued the programme had not adequately investigated or verified the evidence behind two case studies used to support the proposition that installing a heat pump can reduce an EPC rating. The complaint also questioned whether the programme had accurately represented one of the case studies, and whether certain statements about EPC assessments and EPC scoring were sufficiently accurate. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the BBC’s editorial standards of accuracy.
Outcome
The ECU noted Morning Live is a magazine-style programme aimed at a general audience and viewers would not expect a detailed technical analysis of EPC methodology. The item explored concerns about the way EPC ratings are calculated and used the experience of two homeowners, together with expert contribution, to illustrate why some properties with heat pumps had received lower ratings than might be expected. The ECU did not consider the item claimed or implied the installation of a heat pump was the sole cause of changes in EPC ratings. The report repeatedly referred to the methodology used to calculate EPCs and explained ratings are affected by factors such as assumptions about energy costs. Taken as a whole, the item focused on concerns about the operation of the EPC system rather than establishing a simple causal relationship between heat pumps and lower EPC ratings. The ECU concluded the audience was unlikely to have been materially misled and took the view the report achieved due accuracy in the context of a general interest programme addressing a complex technical subject.
Not Upheld