For landlords & property professionals
Policy as of June 2026The new EPC and the Home Energy Model
The EPC is being reformed — and because we're independent (not selling installers, not affiliated with any surveyor), we can tell you plainly what changes and what doesn't. The single A–G rating is giving way to separate metrics — energy cost, fabric performance, heating system and smart readiness — calculated by the Home Energy Model from the second half of 2027. The headline number is changing; the underlying job, getting the fabric of Britain's homes up to a decent standard, is not.
Common questions about the EPC reform and the Home Energy Model
What is actually changing about the EPC?
Today's EPC reduces a home to one A–G rating dominated by running cost, calculated with RdSAP. The reformed EPC replaces that single headline with several separate metrics — energy cost, fabric performance, heating system, and smart readiness — so a home is described by how well its fabric retains heat, how clean its heating is, and how smart-ready it is, not just an estimated bill. The new metrics are produced by the Home Energy Model.
What is the Home Energy Model (HEM)?
The Home Energy Model is the government's new calculation methodology for assessing a home's energy performance, replacing SAP and its reduced version RdSAP. It models a dwelling in much finer detail (including half-hourly behaviour) so the reformed EPC's metrics — especially fabric performance — are more accurate and harder to game than the current single cost score.
When does the new EPC arrive?
As of June 2026 the reforms are confirmed but not yet in force. The government response moved the reforms to the second half of 2027, when new HEM-based EPCs are expected to start being issued, and the current RdSAP method is due to be discontinued on 1 October 2029. The exact new metric thresholds are still being finalised, so any specific band cut-off should be treated as provisional.
What is the 'fabric performance' metric, and why does it matter most?
Fabric performance measures how well the building envelope keeps heat in — insulation, walls, roof, floors, windows and airtightness — independent of how the home is heated. It matters most because the 2030 rented-homes standard is a dual-metric standard led by fabric performance: fabric is the gate a property must pass. A well-insulated home scores well on fabric whatever heating it uses, which is why a 'fabric-first' approach is the priority.
Will my current EPC still be valid?
Yes, for its lifetime. EPCs are valid for ten years, and a property that reaches band C on the current system before 1 October 2029 is treated as compliant until its certificate expires (grandfathering). So a current valid certificate is not wasted by the reform — but when you do re-assess after the change, the home will be measured on the new metrics.
The metric is changing — what should landlords do now?
Prioritise fabric. Insulation (loft, cavity or solid wall, floor), better glazing and airtightness improve a home under both the current rating and the new fabric-performance metric, so they are low-regret regardless of how the headline number is finalised. Low-carbon heating (a heat pump) helps too, but fabric is the gate, and a warmer fabric makes any heating system cheaper to run. Acting on fabric first is robust to the metric change and to further deadline shifts.
Will this still be useful when the EPC changes?
The Home Index measures the distance between today's housing stock and a decent standard — the retrofit gap. That distance is, at root, a fabric question: poorly insulated homes are below the line however the line is drawn. So the gap we publish does not depend on the current A–G label surviving; it tracks the durable retrofit need, and as Home Energy Model fabric data becomes available we will report against it directly.
For the deadline itself — the date, the £10,000 cap, the delay history and the penalties — see The 2030 rule.
To compare fabric measures using observed changes from reassessed homes, try the EPC improvement simulator. If low-carbon heating is part of the plan, use the heat pump calculator after checking the fabric first.
See your own portfolio's exposure
Your report leads on the fabric-first measures that count under both the current rating and the new metric: which properties are exposed, what each costs to bring up to standard, how it affects sale price, and whether to fix or sell.
Check your portfolio's exposure →This page is general information, not legal or financial advice, and reflects the policy position as of June 2026; the reforms are not yet in force and the new metric thresholds are still being finalised. Always check the current GOV.UK guidance for your situation.