With the ongoing energy crisis and an uncertain future for our energy providers, having a good EPC rating is crucial, not just for saving money on energy bills but also to remain compliant.
In December 2020, the government announced a proposal that all rental properties will need an EPC rating of C or above from 2025. This will apply to new tenancies first and in 2028, it will apply to all tenancies including existing and renewed tenancies.
Perhaps more importantly for landlords, from 2025 there is also a proposal to increase the penalty fine for not having a valid EPC from the maximum of £5,000 to £30,000.
Over the last few years, EPC certificates have been uploaded to a central online register that is free to access.
You can check your EPC rating using the Government EPC Register Search.
On it you can see the overall rating, notes about how the rating assessment was reached, and what steps you can take to increase the energy efficiency of that property. You can even test which changes will have the greatest impact.
You can read more about EPC and the requirements involved in our comprehensive guide to EPC.