Estimate the rating of a rented home if you do not have a certificate, see the cheapest measures that get it to band C, and find out where the £10,000 cost cap and exemption fall for your property.
Fabric measures such as loft insulation come first under the 2030 standard and give the cheapest EPC points. Photo: Pexels.
The property
If you know the band, enter it. If not, answer the questions and the planner estimates it from the same model as Retrofit Planner's EPC calculator (usually within one band).
Check for a certificate at gov.uk/find-energy-certificate. If you have one, the score on it is better than any estimate.
Properties worth under £100,000 get the property value adjustment exemption: the cap becomes 10 percent of the value instead of £10,000.
Money spent on recommended measures counts towards the £10,000 cap. Keep the invoices.
Your route to band C
Get a real assessment before spending
A domestic energy assessor costs £60 to £120, gives you the exact score and lists the measures that count. The cost cap only covers measures on a valid EPC or an assessor's report, so this is the first £100 to spend.
The planner above finds the cheapest route to band C. To see what each upgrade saves on the bills and how long it takes to pay back, run the property through the retrofit plan from our sister site, Retrofit Planner, below. It uses savings measured in real homes by the government.
The government's January 2026 response to its consultation set a single compliance date of 1 October 2030 for all private tenancies in England and Wales, replacing the earlier idea of a 2028 date for new tenancies. The standard is EPC C or its equivalent under the new dual-metric EPC: first a fabric performance standard, then a choice of a heating system standard or a smart readiness standard. A property already rated C on the existing Energy Efficiency Rating, on a certificate issued before 1 October 2029, is treated as compliant for the life of that certificate.
The cost cap is £10,000 per property. A landlord who spends that on recommended measures and still falls short can register an exemption lasting 10 years. The response confirmed that spending counts from the date of the announcement rather than from 2030, so work done between tenancies now is not wasted. We will update this page when the regulations are laid; the current minimum for rentals remains band E.
What the measures cost and score
Measure
Typical installed cost
Typical points
Applies when
Loft insulation to 270 mm
£300 to £600
+5 to +8
Under 100 mm now
Cavity wall insulation
£400 to £1,500
+8 to +12
Unfilled cavity
LED lighting throughout
£100 to £300
+1 to +3
Old bulbs
Heating controls (room stat, TRVs, programmer)
£150 to £400
+2 to +3
Missing controls
Replace single glazing
£3,000 to £7,000
+5 to +8
Single glazed
New condensing gas boiler
£1,500 to £3,500
+5 to +8
Boiler over 15 years old
Solar PV, 4 kW
£5,000 to £8,000
+6 to +8
Suitable roof
Air source heat pump (after £7,500 grant)
£3,000 to £7,000
+10 to +15
Landlords can claim the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Internal solid wall insulation
£4,500 to £8,000
+15 to +20
Uninsulated solid walls
Costs from Energy Saving Trust and MCS installation data, 2026. Points are typical RdSAP gains and vary with the property.
Frequently asked questions
When do rented homes need to be EPC C?
By 1 October 2030 for every private tenancy in England and Wales, new or existing. The government confirmed the single date in January 2026. Until then the minimum stays at band E.
What is the £10,000 cost cap?
The most a landlord has to spend per property to meet the standard: £10,000, or 10 percent of the value for a property worth under £100,000. Spend it and, if the home is still below C, you register an exemption for 10 years. Spend on relevant measures installed since 1 October 2025 counts, as do reasonable EPC assessment costs and most third-party funding, so keep every invoice. The government estimates the average property will need £5,400.
Can I use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme as a landlord?
Yes. Private landlords in England and Wales can claim the £7,500 grant (£9,000 replacing oil or LPG) towards a heat pump through an MCS installer, and the grant reduces the cost that counts against your cap.
How accurate is the estimate?
Usually within one band. The model was calibrated against the English Housing Survey and scores the same inputs an assessor uses, but it cannot see your actual construction, so the planner shows a range and tells you when a real assessment (£60 to £120) would change the answer.
Does a flat need to reach C too?
Yes, if it is let privately. Flats often start closer to C because they lose less heat, and the measures inside the landlord's control are usually glazing, heating and lighting. Shared parts and external walls need the freeholder's agreement, which is one of the grounds for exemption being consulted on.
What happens if I do nothing?
Letting a non-compliant home after 1 October 2030 will be an offence with civil penalties expected to rise to £30,000 under the Renters' Rights Act enforcement regime. The property will also be harder to let: the landlord database will show the rating.
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