Safety, certificates and compliance, 29 October 2026
Landlord EPC upgrades: what electricians and heating engineers can offer
Private landlords in England and Wales must bring rented homes up to EPC C, or a valid exemption, by 1 October 2030. They need spend no more than £10,000 per property, and work done since 1 October 2025 counts. Today the legal minimum is still EPC E. For electricians and heating engineers, that means four years of landlords asking what to do first and what it costs.
What are the landlord EPC rules now?
Since 1 April 2020, landlords in England and Wales can't let or continue to let a domestic property rated F or G unless a valid exemption is registered. They don't have to spend more than £3,500, including VAT, to get there. Fines run up to £5,000 per property.
Under the current high-cost exemption, a landlord has to upload three quotes from different installers showing the cheapest recommended improvement would cost more than £3,500. That's one reason landlords ring tradespeople for written quotes they may never accept.
What changes by 2030?
The government confirmed in January 2026 that all privately rented homes in scope must reach EPC C, or equivalent, by 1 October 2030. There's one date for new and existing tenancies. The changes still need Parliamentary approval, but the government response sets out the detail.
New EPCs will score homes on more than one metric. The landlord has to meet a fabric performance standard first, then a second standard of their choice: either heating system or smart readiness. Homes rated C on today's energy efficiency rating before 1 October 2029 count as compliant until that EPC expires.
The maximum fine is set to rise to £30,000 per property per breach. There's a low-value property exemption too: where £10,000 would be 10% or more of a property's value, the cap is 10% of the value instead. The government estimates the average spend at about £5,400 per property.
What can electricians and heating engineers offer?
The government response lists the kind of measures each metric covers. Fabric is mostly for insulation and glazing firms, but the second metric is squarely electrical and heating work.
Electricians have a second reason to be in landlords' phones: in England, rented homes need the electrical installation inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified person. An EICR visit is a natural moment to talk about solar, batteries and what the new EPC will look for.
How does the £10,000 cap work with a heat pump grant?
Boiler Upgrade Scheme money doesn't count towards the landlord's cap, so a grant stretches it. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump and £2,500 for an air-to-air heat pump, in England and Wales.
A three-bed terrace let in England, valued at £180,000
The landlord's EPC adviser recommends loft and cavity wall insulation, then a heat pump. Figures are illustrative; use real quotes.
| Loft insulation top-up, done in November 2025counts, as it's after 1 October 2025 | £900 |
| Cavity wall insulation | £2,400 |
| Air source heat pump, installed | £11,000 |
| Less Boiler Upgrade Scheme grantdoesn't count towards the cap | −£7,500 |
| Landlord's spend counted against the cap£900 + £2,400 + £3,500 | £6,800 |
| Cap remaining£10,000 − £6,800 | £3,200 |
That remaining £3,200 is room for heating controls, a cylinder upgrade or radiators, if the EPC still isn't at C.
How should you quote landlords?
Landlords will compare your quote with the EPC recommendations and their remaining cap, so make that easy. Itemise each measure separately, say which metric it improves, and show any grant as a separate line. If your quote may be used as evidence for an exemption, say what it covers and when it was issued.
Property: address EPC reference: number, if seen Current rating: e.g. D 1. Heating controls upgrade: programmable room thermostat and TRVs: £amount + VAT. Measure type: heating system. 2. Air source heat pump, 7 kW, with cylinder: £amount. Measure type: heating system. Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant of £7,500 applied for by us as MCS installer; landlord pays £balance. 3. Solar PV, 3.6 kWp: £amount. Measure type: smart readiness. Measures are as recommended on the EPC dated date. Final rating depends on the new EPC assessment. This quote is valid for 30 days.
Check the VAT position on each line before you send it. Insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and batteries are zero-rated until 31 March 2027, according to the Warm Homes Plan.
Is this the same in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
No. The rules above are for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland set their own private rented sector energy standards, so check the local rules before quoting landlords there. Grant funding differs too: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers England and Wales only.
Where Nexley fits
Nexley is the AI back office for UK trade firms: five AI assistants run your tenders, quotes, buying, scheduling and invoicing. It connects to the tools you already work in, you run it all from WhatsApp, and you approve everything. £799 a month.
Nexley turns a landlord enquiry into a quote you can send. Forward the EPC and send a voice note from the property on WhatsApp; it drafts an itemised quote from your price list, with each measure, grant line and VAT treatment set out, for you to check and approve. It also logs EICR and service dates so you can contact landlords when the next one is due.
Common questions
What EPC does a rented property need now?
E or above in England and Wales. A property rated F or G can't be let unless the landlord has registered a valid exemption.
When do rented properties need EPC C?
By 1 October 2030 for all tenancies in England and Wales, under plans the government confirmed in January 2026. They still need Parliamentary approval.
Does a heat pump grant count towards the landlord's £10,000 cap?
No. Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants don't count, so a landlord can fit an £11,000 heat pump with a £7,500 grant and count £3,500 against the cap.
Do installers need to be MCS or TrustMark certified for landlord work?
Not for the landlord's own spend, though the government recommends it. Government-funded work, including Boiler Upgrade Scheme heat pumps, needs a TrustMark or MCS installer.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes, government response
- GOV.UK: Domestic private rented property minimum energy efficiency standard, landlord guidance
- GOV.UK: Guidance on PRS exemptions and Exemptions Register evidence
- GOV.UK: Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, what you can get
- GOV.UK: Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales)
- GOV.UK: Warm Homes Plan
- GOV.UK: Guide for landlords, electrical safety standards in the private rented sector
Every rule, rate and date above was checked against these sources on the date shown at the top.
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