If you are a landlord or real estate manager, achieving net zero carbon for rental properties does not solely rest on obtaining an “A” Energy Performance Certificate or EPC rating.
It is important to avoid assuming that reaching the EPC 'A' rating will ensure that it meets the UK's net zero carbon target. 
For landlords, it is a continuing battle against sustainability and rising costs, unrealistic deadlines, and navigating government funds that are inaccessible.
But to what extent does this emphasis on EPC evaluation promote progress towards a net zero goal?
While EPC Reforms strives to improve energy efficiency, an overly rigorous focus on evaluations can overlook a simpler, more valuable solution.
Landowners can achieve meaningful carbon reductions by prioritizing asset-specific improvements, such as insulation and heating upgrades on any target, for example.
At the same time, taking action allows landlords to support tenants while they line up with government targets as Kiel Ir Starmer and Ed Miliband have married to the EPC rating system.
Data from building registration energy performance shows that the number of registered homes in England and Wales increased by 2% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
According to the government's live table, there are 1,666,137 accommodations in England and Wales, with 514,762 properties rated as the current minimum standard, with 736,409 achieving a C rating, a new benchmark proposed.
EPC ratings are based on fixed values and often fail to capture real-world energy efficiency.
EPC ratings are based on fixed values and often fail to capture real-world energy efficiency.
As a result, much of the UK housing stock is more sustainable than it first appears, despite a significant number of properties rated as EPC C or D.
This may be that some landlords with an A rating do the bare minimum, but those with low rating characteristics may keep their tenants warm and be more energy efficient than the rating suggests.
In short, you need a real estate manager to not only check the EPC rating box, but also to take meaningful actions to tackle a climate emergency.
It's time to move beyond the simplified notion that “A” in EPC audits guarantees meaningful progress. Real-world solutions that truly reduce carbon should be prioritized. Being obsessed with ePC 'a' ratings as the ultimate benchmark is not only unnecessary, but counterproductive.
By Dave Seed, Managing Director of Qube Residential
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