Private landlords in England and Wales will need to ensure their properties meet an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of Band C by 1 October 2030, unless they hold an exemption. The change is expected to come into force while Andy Burnham is Prime Minister, with the next general election anticipated by 2029 at the latest.
The Government confirmed the requirement in January, describing the move as part of a plan to "cut energy bills and upgrade homes". Property owners will need to make plans and preparations ahead of the deadline.
Two compliance metrics for landlords
According to The Independent Landlord, landlords who do not have an EPC C under the current EER methodology by 1 October 2029 will face two metrics: the Fabric Performance Metric and either the Heating System Metric or the Smart Readiness Metric.
The site's founder, Suzanne Smith, explained: "This is a 'fabric first' approach, because the landlord must first invest towards meeting the Fabric Performance Metric, and once the property meets this, or they register a valid exemption, they must then invest towards installing measures to meet their chosen secondary metric."
She added: "This means that once the building has met the Fabric Performance Metric (or have an exemption), landlords can choose either to install a heat pump to achieve a C rating under the Heating System Metric or improve the property's 'smart readiness' by, for instance, installing solar panels and a smart meter, unless they have an exemption. A gas boiler would not achieve a C rating under the Heating System Metric."
What Band C means for homes
A Band C rating indicates that a home was built using energy efficient building methods or has undergone renovation work aimed at increasing its energy efficiency. The home should be between 69 and 80% efficient.
The Government's guidance, last updated in May, states: "Government has committed to look at a long-term trajectory to improve the energy performance standards of privately rented homes in England and Wales, with the aim for as many of them as possible to be upgraded to EPC Band C or equivalent by 2030. We are exploring policy design options following the 2026 consultation and will provide further information in due course."
