The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for the private rented sector are being upgraded to require EPC Band C across all rented properties in England and Wales by 2030. The policy was first announced in 2020, delayed, and re-confirmed in 2024 by the current Government. Secondary legislation implementing the new standard is expected before the end of 2026, but the 2030 deadline for all tenancies is now settled government policy.
Current MEES rules (EPC E minimum)
The current Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards set EPC Band E as the minimum for private rented properties in England and Wales:
- Since 1 April 2018: landlords cannot grant a new tenancy for a property below EPC E (unless exempt)
- Since 1 April 2020: landlords cannot continue any tenancy (new or existing) for a property below EPC E (unless exempt)
- Maximum civil penalty for letting an F or G rated property: £5,000 in total (£2,000 for a breach under 3 months, £4,000 for 3 months or more)
- The PRS Exemptions Register allows landlords to register time-limited exemptions where improvement is not cost-effective, technically feasible or consented to by a third party
The EPC C target: timeline and legislative status
The EPC C minimum is confirmed policy for 2030. The expected legislative pathway is:
- 2026: Secondary legislation to amend the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, raising the minimum from E to C
- 2028 (proposed): EPC C required for all new tenancies and lease renewals
- 2030: EPC C required for all rented properties (new and continuing tenancies)
- Landlords will not need to reach C overnight; a phased approach matching new lets first, then all lets, mirrors the 2018/2020 EPC E rollout
What EPC band C means in practice
EPC Band C covers the range 69 to 80 SAP points on the Standard Assessment Procedure energy scale. Achieving C typically requires some combination of:
- Loft insulation (minimum 270mm mineral wool)
- Cavity wall insulation (where applicable)
- Solid wall insulation (external or internal, much more expensive)
- Double or triple glazing (where single glazing remains)
- Modern condensing boiler (A-rated, 90%+ efficiency)
- Heat pump installation (in conjunction with insulation measures)
- Solar PV panels (can push a borderline D property to C)
- Smart controls and thermostatic radiator valves
Cost and the £15,000 cost cap
The Government has proposed a £15,000 cost cap per property. If a landlord spends £15,000 on qualifying energy efficiency measures and cannot achieve EPC C:
- They may register a cost cap exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register
- The property can be let at its achieved band even if below C
- Exemptions last five years and must be renewed
- Landlords must obtain and retain quotes and receipts evidencing the £15,000 spend
- The average cost to reach EPC C from D is estimated at £4,000 to £8,000; from E is £6,000 to £14,000; from F or G can exceed £20,000
Government and third-party funding
Several funding schemes can reduce the cost burden on landlords:
- Warm Homes Plan: the Government's £13.2 billion energy efficiency scheme (2025 to 2028) includes grants for landlords who let to low-income tenants
- ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation 4): energy suppliers fund insulation and heating improvements for fuel-poor households
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme: £7,500 grant towards heat pump installation (air source), £7,500 for ground source heat pump, available to landlords
- Great British Insulation Scheme: targeted at harder-to-treat properties with solid walls or poor insulation
- Local Authority Delivery Scheme and Home Upgrade Grants via your local council
Exemptions from EPC C
The following categories of property are expected to be exempt from the EPC C requirement:
- Listed buildings and properties in conservation areas where works would alter character, landlords must still commission an EPC and apply for exemption
- Properties where recommended measures would cause structural damage (e.g. cavity wall insulation not suitable for exposed brickwork)
- Shared ownership or leasehold properties where third-party consent cannot be obtained
- New build properties within the first two years of completion (typically already at B or A)
- The £15,000 cost cap exemption where maximum spend has been reached
- All exemptions must be registered on the official PRS Exemptions Register and last five years
What landlords should do now
With 2030 four years away and improvement works often requiring planning, contractor availability and sometimes mortgage lender consent, starting now is strongly advisable:
- Commission a new EPC if your existing one is over five years old, EPC assessors now use RdSAP 10 methodology which may rate the property differently
- Request the 'Improvement Recommendations' section of the EPC, this lists the measures most likely to raise your band and their estimated costs
- Get quotes from at least two installers for the top two or three recommended measures
- Apply for Warm Homes Plan or ECO4 funding if your tenants qualify on income grounds
- Check with your mortgage lender whether consent to alter is required for external wall insulation or structural improvements
- Budget the works into your rental income projections, the 2028 'new lets only' phase gives a hard compliance deadline that will affect remarketing