EPC C and heat pump decision checker
EPC C deadline checker
Pick the band on the property's current EPC and its tenancy situation. The checker applies the rules as published and shows the next steps. It runs in your browser and sends nothing.
Based on the government's January 2026 response; the regulations had not been laid when this page was last checked. Exemptions, the cost cap and the penalty regime may change when they are. Not legal advice.
What this tool is for
This tool answers one question: given the property’s EPC band and situation, how far is it from the planned EPC C standard, and is a heating change the sort of step worth looking at next? It is not a general guide to landlord EPC compliance. For the legal background, read EPC C 2030 and your heating choice.
The inputs
- Current EPC band: A to C, D, E, F, G, or “I do not know”. If you do not know, look the property up on the GOV.UK Find an energy certificate service.
- Situation: let now with a tenant, empty between lets, or planning to sell before 2030.
- EPC date: lodged before 1 October 2029 and still in date, expired or older than ten years, or not sure.
- Upgrade work since 1 October 2025: some energy-saving work done, or none.
What it applies
It applies two sets of rules, and labels which is which.
Today’s law. The minimum is EPC E, the cost cap is £3,500 including VAT, exemptions mostly last 5 years, and the maximum fine is £5,000 per property in total. A property at F or G is below the legal minimum, and the checker says to deal with that first.
Planned rules. From the government response of 21 January 2026: EPC C by 1 October 2030, a cost cap of £10,000 per property, spend counting from 1 October 2025, a 10-year exemption after cap spend, and a maximum penalty of £30,000 per breach. A property rated EPC C or above on an EPC lodged before 1 October 2029 stays compliant until that EPC expires. The regulations have not been made, so details can change.
How to read the output
A rating of A to C means you meet the planned standard on the current certificate. D means above today’s minimum but one band short of the planned standard. E means two bands to climb, and fabric work often has to come before a heating change moves the rating far enough. F or G means a legal problem today.
The tool then adds notes on your situation: between lets is the easiest time for disruptive work, selling before 2030 means the rule does not bind you but buyers and lenders see the EPC, and receipts for relevant work since 1 October 2025 should be kept.
What it cannot know
The checker cannot:
- see your actual certificate or recalculate it
- tell you whether a heat pump would raise the rating, since that depends on the property
- know whether an exemption applies to your case
- predict the final regulations, including the heating-system or smart-readiness choice the planned standard allows
- tell you whether the Boiler Upgrade Scheme counts towards the cap. The government response says it will not, while other government scheme funding can, but the regulations are not yet laid, so the final rule may differ
Use it as a first read, then get an assessor’s advice on the property.
Dates that matter
The dates here are the ones above: 1 October 2025 for spend, 1 October 2029 for EPC lodgement, 1 October 2030 for the planned standard, and 2027 for expected regulations. None is a countdown to a certain event. They are inputs to a decision you can take at your own pace.
Next step
If heating looks like the next step, put the property into the landlord heat pump calculator. If it does not, the EPC’s own recommendations are the place to start. When you want quotes, send an enquiry and relevant independent firms will contact you, with no charge to you and no obligation.
The dates that matter
No countdown clocks here: only the fixed dates in the published guidance, and what each one means for a landlord.
- 31 December 2026ECO4, the supplier-funded scheme, closes after its extension. If a tenant on a low income might qualify, ask about it before then.
- 31 March 2027The extra £1,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme uplift for oil or LPG heating in a home with no mains gas connection ends, taking the grant from £9,000 back to £7,500. Zero-rated VAT on installing heat pumps and insulation also ends on the same date and 5% applies from 1 April 2027.
- 2027A statutory instrument is expected to come into force in 2027; the regulations had not been laid at the time of the government response.
- 1 October 2029A property rated EPC C or above on the Energy Efficiency Rating on an EPC lodged before 1 October 2029 stays compliant until that EPC expires.
- 1 October 2030All in-scope tenancies must meet EPC C, or hold a valid exemption, under the government's published plan.
Questions landlords ask
What does the checker do?
It takes four inputs: current EPC band, the property's situation, the date of the EPC and whether you have spent on upgrades since 1 October 2025. It then applies the published rules and lists next steps. It runs in your browser and sends nothing.
Is EPC C by 2030 law?
Not yet. The government response of 21 January 2026 sets out a planned standard of EPC C by 1 October 2030 for in-scope tenancies in England and Wales. A statutory instrument is expected to come into force in 2027 and had not been laid at the time of the response. Today's minimum is EPC E.
Will the checker tell me to fit a heat pump?
No. It tells you your position and what the rules say. Whether a heat pump is the right step depends on the property, its fabric and the running costs. Use the calculator and the worth-it guide for that.
What cost cap is planned?
£10,000 per property, or the lower of £10,000 or 10% of value if the property is valued below £100,000, with spend counting from 1 October 2025. After that spend a 10-year exemption is planned.
Where is the full explanation?
Sources
- DESNZ/MHCLG, Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: 2025 update - government response (published 21 January 2026) (read 8 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard - landlord guidance (updated 5 May 2026) (read 8 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Find an energy certificate (read 8 October 2026)
Want quotes for a rental property, or a second opinion?
Tell us about the property. We pass your enquiry to relevant independent heat pump firms that cover your postcode, and they contact you directly. There is no charge to you for the introduction and no obligation to go ahead.
What happens next
- We read your enquiry and check which kind of firm can help.
- We pass it to relevant independent firms that cover your postcode.
- They contact you with questions or a quote. You compare, and decide — with no obligation to go ahead.