Renters Beware: New Rules for EPC Assessments

An Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC, is one of the most useful documents renters can check before agreeing to rent a property. It gives an indication of a home’s energy efficiency, likely running costs, and how easy it may be to keep warm.

With planned changes to EPC assessments, renters may soon get clearer information about how a property performs. This could make it easier to spot homes that may be harder to heat, less comfortable in winter or more expensive to run.

Under current rules, many domestic private rented properties must have at least an EPC rating of E, unless a valid exemption applies. The UK Government plans to raise this to the equivalent of an EPC rating of C by 2030 for privately rented properties in England and Wales.

In this guide, we explain the current and upcoming rules for EPC assessments, what renters should look for on an EPC, and why landlords should start preparing for future energy-efficiency requirements.

While renters can use an EPC to make more informed decisions, EPC assessments are usually arranged by landlords, letting agents or property owners. Falcon Energy provides professional EPC services nationwide, with free, no-obligation quotes.

What is an EPC assessment?

An EPC assessment measures a property’s energy performance and gives it an energy efficiency rating from A to G. A is the most energy efficient, while G is the least efficient.

A qualified assessor reviews the property’s key features, including insulation, glazing, lighting, the heating system, hot water, ventilation and renewable technologies such as solar panels or a heat pump. The resulting Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) shows the property’s current rating, estimated energy use, likely energy costs, and recommended energy improvements.

For renters, this provides a useful snapshot of how the property is expected to perform before they agree to rent it.

What are the current EPC rules for rental properties?

Under the current Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, many domestic private rented properties must have a minimum EPC rating of E before they can be legally let, unless a valid exemption applies. This means properties rated F or G usually need to be improved before they can be rented out.

For renters, the rating can give an early indication of potential issues. A low-rated home may have poor insulation, an inefficient gas boiler, expensive electric heating, limited heating controls, or weak fabric performance. These factors can affect comfort and may lead to higher energy bills, particularly in winter.

How are EPC assessments changing?

• Minimum EPC rating: The expected minimum standard for many private rented properties is set to rise from an EPC rating of E to an EPC rating of C by 2030.
• New EPC metrics: Future EPC assessments are expected to include clearer headline metrics for fabric performance, heating systems, smart readiness, and energy costs.

These changes are designed to raise standards across the private rented sector, with a target for privately rented properties in England and Wales to reach an EPC rating of C by 2030. This sits within the wider Warm Homes Plan, which aims to support more energy-efficient homes, reduce fuel poverty, improve energy security, and help move the UK towards net-zero emissions.

The EPC system itself is also expected to change. The proposed approach includes new headline metrics designed to give a more complete picture of a property’s performance, rather than relying only on the current overall rating.

Proposed EPC metric	What it helps show
Fabric performance metric	How well the building keeps heat in through walls, roofs, floors, windows and doors
Heating system metric	How efficient and low-carbon the heating system is
Smart readiness metric	How ready the property is to integrate smart technologies
Energy cost metric	The likely cost of running the property

These new EPC metrics could make it easier to understand why a property has a certain rating. For example, one home may perform poorly due to inadequate insulation, while another may be held back by an outdated heating system or high expected energy consumption.

The Home Energy Model (HEM) is also expected to play a greater role in future energy assessments, replacing the current SAP methodology for new homes and helping shape how energy performance is assessed in the future.

Why renters should pay attention to EPC assessments

An EPC assessment can highlight potential issues before renters move into a property. This matters because the person who pays the energy bills is often the tenant, so a lower-rated home could mean higher running costs, poorer comfort and more heat loss during colder months.

If a property has poor insulation, an inefficient heating system, limited loft insulation, missing cavity wall insulation, old glazing or poor heating controls, it may be harder and more expensive to keep warm.

Before renting a property, tenants may want to check:

• The current EPC rating
• Whether the EPC certificate is still valid
• The recommended energy efficiency improvements
• The type of heating system
• Whether the home uses a gas boiler, electric heating or low-carbon heating
• Whether insulation, glazing or heating controls have been upgraded
• Whether the landlord has already carried out the recommended EPC improvements

A better-rated property is not a guarantee of low bills, but it can indicate better energy efficiency, lower expected energy use and stronger building thermal performance.

What the proposed changes could mean for renters

For renters, the proposed changes could make EPC ratings more useful when comparing homes. If the minimum standard rises from E to C as planned, lower-rated rental properties may need improvements before they meet future requirements.

Over time, better EPC ratings and higher standards could mean more energy-efficient rental homes, with improved insulation, better heating systems, smarter heating controls, and less wasted energy. For tenants, this may mean a home that feels warmer, is easier to heat, costs less to run than a similar, lower-rated property, and offers better comfort in winter.

Renters should be aware of the current minimum standard and the planned move towards an EPC rating of C, but responsibility for arranging a valid EPC and meeting rental compliance requirements usually falls to the landlord, letting agent or property owner.

That said, an EPC should still be treated as a guide rather than a guarantee. Actual energy bills will depend on how the property is used, the tariff, the weather and personal heating habits.

What renters can check and how landlords can prepare

Renters

Renters can ask to see the current EPC before signing a tenancy agreement. This can help them spot potential concerns, such as a low rating, poor insulation, an inefficient heating system or recommended improvements that have not yet been carried out.

As mentioned, the responsibility for arranging a valid EPC usually lies with the landlord, letting agent or property owner. However, renters can still use the certificate to ask informed questions about comfort, heating, running costs, and whether any energy-efficiency improvements have already been made.

Landlords

For landlords, the proposed changes mean EPC assessments may give a more detailed picture of where a property needs improvement. A lower-rated rental home may need upgrades to meet future Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, especially if the expected minimum standard rises from E to C.

Landlords should:

• Check the property’s current EPC rating
• Review the recommended energy improvements
• Book a new EPC assessment if the certificate is old or the property has changed
• Consider practical upgrades such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, improved glazing, heating controls, solar panels or a suitable heat pump
• Keep records of completed improvement work

Planning early gives landlords more time to manage costs, prioritise the right upgrades and prepare for future Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards. It can also help meet renter expectations and keep properties competitive as tenants pay closer attention to comfort, running costs and energy efficiency.

Summary

The new rules for EPC assessments are part of a wider move towards more energy-efficient rental homes, lower carbon emissions and improved energy security.

For renters, an EPC can highlight potential issues before moving in, including poor insulation, inefficient heating or higher-than-expected energy costs. As standards rise and EPC assessments are updated, renters may also benefit from clearer information and, over time, more homes that are easier to heat and more energy-efficient.

For landlords, the changes are a reason to review existing EPCs early and plan practical improvements before future requirements become urgent.

Book an EPC assessment with Falcon Energy

For renters, an EPC can provide useful insight before agreeing to rent a property. For landlords, letting agents and property owners, keeping EPCs up to date is an important part of meeting current requirements and preparing for future changes.

At Falcon Energy, we provide professional EPC assessments nationwide, with free, no-obligation quotes. Whether you need an up-to-date EPC for a rental property or advice on potential energy-efficiency improvements, we can help.

Contact Falcon Energy today to schedule an EPC assessment or discuss your compliance requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

This article provides general regulatory guidance and does not constitute legal advice. EPC obligations and exemptions should always be assessed on a case-by-case basis.