Labour reveals plans to overhaul EPCs ahead of 2030 upgrade deadline
Energy Efficiency and Net Zero government department says both EPCs and the MEES rules that underpin them need updating to improve system.
Labour has revealed plans to overhaul of both Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and the MEES system that underpins them.
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Regulations set a minimum energy efficiency level for domestic private rented properties, while EPCs are the certificates that are issued to landlords to prove they have reached them, banded from A to G.
But EPCs in particular have been heavily criticised by many letting agents and landlords because they are confusing and difficult to read, and can be wildly inaccurate.
The Department of Energy and Net Zero is to launch a consultation with “proposals for improvements to EPCS to make them more accurate and reliable” while at an industry conference it was revealed by the department’s officials that the MEES regulations are to also get an overhaul.
The plans to improve EPCs and MEES are hot on the heels of Ed Miliband’s promise to make landlords upgrade their properties to a minimum EPC band C by 2030 or face being unable to rent them out.
There is to be significant financial help to achieve this. Landlords will be given cash to fund the cost of upgrading one property capped at between £15,000 and £30,000 depending on the kind of upgrades being implemented, while portfolio landlords will have to pay half the cost of any subsequent properties, funded via the re-launched Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme.
Eligible postcodes
But properties will have to be within one of the postcodes published by the Government, which cover around half of the UK, or contain tenants on benefits or who have incomes below a set level, in order to be eligible.

“This is an important step from Labour that gives much-needed direction for minimum energy efficiency for domestic homes that are rented has been lacking since they were scrapped last September by former PM Rishi Sunak,” says Stuart Fairlie MD of Elmhurst Energy, the leading provider of training and accreditation for energy efficiency professionals.
“A 2030 EPC C deadline and consultation on Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) Regulations offers the clarity that many private rented sector landlords have been asking for – and delivers legal impetus to others.
“It’s those properties with an EPC rating of D to G we must really focus on, fast, as tenants living in these homes face fuel bills that are almost three times higher than those in homes rated EPC C.”
What planet are these on?
“It’s those properties with an EPC rating of D to G we must really focus on, fast, as tenants living in these homes face fuel bills that are almost three times higher than those in homes rated EPC C.”
Many of mine are D with new boilers, windows, doors, loft insulation, and tenants gas electric bills are £80pm in the terraced houses with warmth either side.
Current EPC is basically a useless guide in many properties I looked at one yesterday done in 2018 well before current energy prices and it shows estimated energy costs at £4300 then so lets say around £6k at todays prices.
Tenant has paid £960 for electric and £1625 for oil in the last year total £2585 property is an E rate and costs less to heat (tenant in all day) than some small houses this is a large old stone built detached property.
They need to work out an accurate system for stone built properties and take into account the insulation property of thick stone walls.