The tide is already turning towards homes with EPC ratings of C or better, it’s claimed.
This is well ahead of the 2030 deadline imposed by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband by which private rental properties must be C-rated or better.
PropTech platform epIMS has studied EPC data in England & Wales over the past 10 years to see how the proportions of A-C and D-G ratings have changed over the course of a decade.
This appears to show that a rating of C or better has already become the norm.
Back in 2014, 69% of properties received a new EPC rating score of D or worse. The most common rating that year was D which accounted for 44.4% of the 2.2m certificates awarded.
Since then the proportion of homes awarded D or worse has diminished until 2021 when ratings of D to G were eclipsed by ratings of A to C.
2021 saw 51.6% of EPC ratings awarded C or better, with the most common rating improving from D to C (36%) for the first time.
This trend of improvement continued through to 2024 when 60.5% of all homes were awarded a rating of between A and C – the largest proportion in the previous 10 years.
The most common rating in 2024 was a C, as awarded to 44.3% of properties, but 2024 also saw the proportion of A ratings break 1% for the first time, climbing from 0.8% in 2023 up to 1.7% in 2024.
The chief operating officer of epIMS, Craig Cooper, says: “Landlords may have concerns when it comes to being forced to upgrade all of their properties to an EPC rating of at least C, but the nation’s dwellings have already been steadily improving year on year even without governmental pressure to do so.
“Advances in areas such as building materials and heating systems mean that energy efficiency in the home is improving as a matter of course.
“Our ability to understand how best to improve efficiency is also improving, with advanced technology such as AI now able to analyse a home and quickly identify its weak spots which can then be addressed in the most practical and affordable way.
“As such, landlords who are concerned about the time and cost required for upgrading their properties in order to adhere with the government’s proposed rules might actually be pleasantly surprised at how affordable it is, just so long as they approach the challenge in the most efficient manner.“
This article is taken from Landlord Today