Frequently asked questions
When does a rented home need EPC band C?
From 1 October 2030, every privately rented home in England and Wales must meet a band C equivalent standard, with no earlier date for new tenancies. Until then band E is the minimum.
How much does a landlord have to spend?
Up to £10,000 per property, including VAT, or 10% of the property's value if it is worth less than £100,000. If the home still falls short once you have spent that, you can register a cost cap exemption that lasts 10 years.
Does my current EPC count?
A band C or better rating on an EPC lodged before 1 October 2029 counts as compliant until that certificate expires or is replaced. After that, homes are judged on the new EPC metrics: fabric first, then either the heating system or smart readiness.
What are the fines?
Up to £5,000 per property under today's rules, rising to up to £30,000 per property per breach under the 2030 rules. Marketing a home without an EPC is a separate £200 penalty.
Can a landlord get grants?
Some. ECO4 can fund insulation where the tenant receives a qualifying benefit, until it closes on 31 December 2026. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 off a heat pump, or £9,000 replacing oil or LPG until March 2027. Insulation, solar panels and heat pumps carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027.
How the calculator works
It ranks every upgrade your property can take by cost per EPC point and adds them, cheapest first, until the home reaches the band it needs.
Read the detail
The points come from the same simple model as our EPC improvement planner, and the two give the same plan for the same answers. It is a guide, not RdSAP, the software an assessor uses. Costs are typical installed prices: insulation from the Energy Saving Trust, a new gas boiler at the DESNZ average of about £3,500, a heat pump at the median installed cost under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme less the grant, and solar panels at the middle of £5,000 to £7,000 for 4 kW.
The spending cap is applied in the same order: the upgrades that fit within £10,000 (or 10% of a value under £100,000) are the ones the plan counts before a cost cap exemption. The real test is the list of recommendations on your EPC, so check it against this plan before you commission work.
Sources
The GOV.UK landlord guidance and the government's response of 21 January 2026 on privately rented homes.
Show every source
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, government response on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes, 21 January 2026: the 1 October 2030 date, the £10,000 cap and 10% below £100,000, the 10 year exemption, the £30,000 maximum fine and the treatment of certificates lodged before 1 October 2029.
- GOV.UK, domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard, landlord guidance: today's band E minimum, fines and exemptions.
- Energy Saving Trust, 2026: insulation and glazing costs. DESNZ Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics, August 2026: heat pump costs.