What the government’s EPC consultation means for landlords
1 year ago | 42 comments
Major changes to EPCs coming in 2026
10:19 AM, 12th February 2025, 1 year ago
61
The way energy performance certificates (EPCs) are measured could be changed as soon as 2026.
The government has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the way EPCs are measured, which they claim will deliver a “more efficient and effective EPC system that works for landlords.”
The consultation is currently open and will run until February 26th
Measures to calculate EPCs
Under the current rules, EPCs are measured based on the amount of energy a property uses per square metre (e.g., for heating, lighting, etc.) and how much energy it loses (e.g., through poor insulation).
The energy assessor first calculates the property’s Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) score, which is then used to determine the EPC rating.
However, the government proposes six potential metrics to calculate EPCs:
- Energy cost: helping individuals understand the financial implications of a building’s energy efficiency and make informed decisions about potential improvements
- Carbon: an estimate of the carbon emissions arising from the energy used in the building
- Energy use: offering insights into overall energy consumption and identifying areas for energy efficiency improvements
- Fabric performance: assessing the thermal performance of a building’s envelope and promoting the importance of well-insulated, comfortable, and energy-efficient spaces
- Heating system: providing information on the efficiency and environmental impact of a building’s heating source and encouraging the adoption of cleaner heating technologies
- Smart readiness: assessing a building’s potential to integrate smart technologies that can optimise energy consumption and the ability of consumers to benefit from cheaper smart tariffs.
The consultation says: “These metrics together convey the key, complementary aspects of building energy performance, allowing the user to distinguish where the home performs more or less well. Supporting people to keep their energy bills low has always been a key purpose of EPCs and the energy cost metric will provide this information.”
Changes to EPC validity
The consultation also proposes requiring a valid EPC throughout the tenancy.
The consultation says: “Currently in both the private and social rental sectors when an EPC expires, a new EPC is only required when a property is re-let and not when the same tenant renews or extends their lease.
“The presence of a valid EPC throughout a tenancy, rather than solely at point of marketing, would ensure landlords and tenants are equipped with accurate and up-to-date information.”
At present an EPC is valid for 10 years, however, the government is considering changes to this rule.
The consultation says: “We are proposing to introduce for private rental properties a new trigger point where an EPC is required for when the current one expires.
“As the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations (2015) only applies to private sector properties which are required, or are part of a building which is required, to have a valid EPC, these types of properties (where the EPC has expired, and the same tenant remains in situ) are not covered by the PRS Regulations.
“Requiring a new EPC for rented buildings when the existing one expires would therefore ensure most new lease renewals are captured within the scope of the PRS Regulations.”
Expanding EPC requirements for HMOs
For HMOs, the government is considering expanding EPC requirements.
The consultation says: “We are proposing to extend the scope of EPCs so that a valid one is required for an entire house in multiple occupation (HMO) when a single room within it is rented out, as currently the guidance states that an EPC is not required in this instance, only when the whole house is rented out.
“Mandating EPCs for HMOs when a single room is rented out will ensure that HMOs will need to comply with the requirements set out in the MEES Regulations if they did not have a valid EPC before this point.
“This would provide consistency across the private rented sector. As a result, we are proposing a 24-month transitional period for any HMO landlords newly brought into the scope of the regulations to obtain a valid EPC.”
Property118 will be doing a series of articles on the proposed changes to how EPCs are measured and how they will affect landlords.
Landlords can fill out the consultation here and landlords can read the full list of proposals here
Tags:
carbon emissions EPC, energy efficiency, Energy Performance Certificates, EPC changes 2026, epc consultation, EPC energy cost, EPC energy use, EPC fabric performance, EPC measurement changes, EPC metrics, heating system EPC, Landlord EPC requirements
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Member Since October 2022 - Comments: 205
10:00 AM, 14th February 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 14/02/2025 – 09:42Apparently there are no EPC certificates for any addresses in Downing Street, London, so presumably No 10 and No 11 will be unlettable come 2029 when the next government is voted in?
https://energysmartworld.co.uk/downing-street-epc-expiry-saga/
Member Since October 2022 - Comments: 205
10:06 AM, 14th February 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Peter Merrick at 14/02/2025 – 10:00Update … I found this after the editing time ran out, so apparently it is now rated C for CO2 emissions at least:
https://find-energy-certificate.service.gov.uk/energy-certificate/1586-9914-5062-5690-2396
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2021
10:07 AM, 14th February 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Peter Merrick at 14/02/2025 – 10:00
They are in a conservation area so I doubt that planning permission would allow them photovoltaics or an air-source heat pump. They probably can’t get a rig in to put in bore-holes for a ground-source heat pump. The performance of those deteriorates rapidly apparently so the next tenants won’t benefit that much.
But if I’ve understood the present proposals, aren’t the tenants permitted to sign something to say that they don’t want the works done? So when Reform or the Conservatives get in can’t they just sign something to say, “…this was b******s, we want to hang on to our condensing gas boiler, and by the way, now that Vladimir Putin has invaded Poland, and all of the rest of Ukraine, even though he told his chum Don that he wouldn’t, we are now far too concerned with the fact that we haven’t spent enough money on defence and we don’t have enough wheat because all our farmers just went out of business.”
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2021
10:10 AM, 14th February 2025, About 1 year ago
That’s interesting. The EPC says that it’s on grid-supplied electricity. That’ll be a big help when Vladimir knocks the grid out.
Member Since January 2016 - Comments: 473
10:43 AM, 14th February 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 14/02/2025 – 09:42
“The let on number 10 Downing Street is a short-term let and the tenants probably aren’t going to be there when the EPC deadline kicks in.”
Renters Rights making tenancies endless and cancelling council elections might offer some clues as to how the present incumbent might stay longer than expected.
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2021
10:59 AM, 14th February 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Darren Peters at 14/02/2025 – 10:43
You’re right. It’s a slippery slope.
https://unlockdemocracy.org.uk/blog1/2025/1/24/cancelling-elections-is-wrong
The last couple of weeks have shown us just how messy democracy can be but it’s still way better than the alternative and local council elections give us a chance to tell our government that we can see that it is not competent. Free, fair and open elections allow us to send a coherent message that is increasingly important in a world of disinformation. Free speech and a free vote are our most civilising influences.
Elon Musk is every bit as nuts and as alarming as Donald Trump but at least he believes in free speech. And even though the Americans have voted in Donald Trump on the basis of his policies (they only really care about the price of healthcare and gas) most of them can see that he’s no statesman and a long way short of the full package….but they still have the right both to criticise him (including on X) and to vote him out again. Taking away those basic rights to get rid of the incumbent idiot, or to tell the incumbent idiot that he’s about to be voted out is very sinister.
Member Since January 2022 - Comments: 97
11:15 AM, 14th February 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by John Jones at 14/02/2025 – 09:02
Nice one lol
It would in the new if it was a private Landlord
The penalty for each breach is £500 for failing to display a DEC at all times in a prominent place clearly visible to the public and £1,000 for failing to have possession of a valid advisory report.
I doubt this will happen, not in the best interests of blah blah blah
Member Since October 2022 - Comments: 205
12:32 PM, 14th February 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 14/02/2025 – 10:59I wouldn’t be so sure about Elon (or The Donald) believing in free speech, other than for themselves. Elon has been busy suing people for defamation when they complain about his cars causing accidents, and even forced them to hand over compensation:
https://apnews.com/article/tesla-china-musk-investigation-takeaways-422af6d3c6e7cc88173d12891e8c0a9a
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2021
3:24 PM, 14th February 2025, About 1 year ago
He is certainly a mixed bag.
As for his cars I believe that environmentally because of all the activity it takes to mine the lithium etc. I believe that there is no environmental benefit of an electric car over a diesel one for about 7-8 years. The batteries last about 10 years but by the time you get to 7-8 years the battery isn’t performing very well. The government gave industry the option to provide electric cars to employees without a PAYE benefit in kind for a while, but that’s now being reduced to 10% and with the cars often being nearly twice the price of the equivalent diesel, a purchase of an electric car is economically questionable.
But despite all that, the ‘good bit’ of the technology in the cars is the electric motors which last a long time, give plenty of torque and acceleration, and can recover a lot of the breaking energy. So there is a good bit and when hydrogen technology catches up, the fact that somebody manufactured those electric motors at volume may have been a good thing.
I wouldn’t have a Tesla car though. The last time anybody (an American, living in the USA) explained them to me you didn’t even own the battery and by the time you get around to replacing the battery the replacement batteries are too expensive to afford: That was somebody in the US, not some person Elon Musk was trying to sue in China, where they don’t have free speech anyway.
Elon Musk did offer to have a wrestling match with Vladimir Putin:
https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/elon-musk-twitter-sumo-wrestling-vladimir-putin-b2040716.html
There was something in the press over the last week about the American defence industry buying lots of armoured Tesla cars. They may just have canned that idea although perhaps Don and Elon will now want to sell them to Europe. I hope that European leaders don’t go for that as they’ll find themselves waiting for a charging point whilst Putin’s conscripts chug their way into Poland in their diesels amidst a cloud of particulates and CO2 that they clearly don’t care about.
Member Since March 2024 - Comments: 12
11:12 AM, 15th February 2025, About 1 year ago
Once again changes are on the horizon, EPC renewal is only for the diligent landlord just like landlords gas safety cert. and the EICR for electrics, no one engaging on here would dodge their responsibilities, however there are thousands possibly hundreds of thousands of let properties without any up to date certificates and indeed HMO licences.
Are councils ever going to have the resources to enforce any of the rules?