Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department will take to ensure that landlords are not penalised for not meeting the EPC C standard where the final Home Energy Model metrics and band boundaries are published after landlords have begun making investment decisions.

Achieving EPC C by 2030 using reformed EPC metrics is one route to compliance with the new standards. Alternatively, landlords can start to undertake improvement works now under the grandparenting clause – properties which achieve EPC C or higher on existing EPCs before 1 October 2029 will be recognised as compliant until the EPC expires or is replaced.

Government has also announced the maximum expenditure required and is designing an enhanced exemptions regime, recognising that efficiency improvements need to be sensitive to the characteristics of each property. We will set out more detail in guidance and regulations.