Labour has announced plans to revamp both Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) system that supports them.

The MEES Regulations establish a minimum energy efficiency requirement for domestic private rented properties, with EPCs acting as the certificates landlords use to demonstrate compliance, rated from A to G.

However, EPCs have faced criticism from many letting agents for being confusing, difficult to interpret, and often inaccurate.

The Department for Energy and Net Zero is set to launch a consultation with proposals aimed at improving the accuracy and reliability of EPCs. At an industry conference, department officials also disclosed that MEES regulations are due for a comprehensive overhaul.

These plans to enhance EPCs and MEES follow closely on Ed Miliband’s commitment to require landlords to upgrade their properties to at least an EPC band C by 2030 or face the possibility of being unable to rent them out.

Substantial financial assistance will be available to support this initiative for landlords housing low income groups. But properties will have to be within one of the ‘eligible postcodes’ published by the Government, which cover around half of the UK.

Landlords will receive funds to cover the cost of upgrading a single property, with a cap ranging from £15,000 to £30,000 depending on the nature of the improvements. Portfolio landlords will be required to cover half the cost of upgrades for any additional properties, funded through the re-launched Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme.