Government has stated an aim to raise the minimum EPC rating for rented homes from band E to band C by 2030. It is important to be precise about its status: this is a stated aim, not yet law.
What is actually in force
- Minimum band E since 1 April 2020.
- Cost cap £3,500 including VAT — spend more than this and you can register a high-cost exemption instead.
- Maximum penalty £5,000 per property.
What is proposed
- Band C, indicated for 2030. No implementation date is fixed in law.
- A higher cost cap and higher penalties have been discussed in consultation. Treat every such figure as provisional until it is enacted.
- Band C starts at 69 points on the SAP scale — that part is a rating-scale fact and will not move with policy.
Worth knowing: a band-C requirement was proposed once before, for 2025/2028, and dropped in 2023. Plan for it, but do not budget as though the numbers are fixed.
Planning the work
The most cost-effective order is usually fabric first — loft and cavity insulation, draught-proofing — then heating controls, then glazing or renewables. The right sequence depends on your actual property; our modelling engine computes it from your EPC data, with realistic costs, so you can budget years ahead instead of panicking in 2029.