EPC reform delayed to the second half of 2027 — what changes for you now

On 9 March 2026 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed that the launch of reformed Energy Performance Certificates has been pushed to the second half of 2027. The original target was October 2026. Government says it will agree a new launch date and a shared implementation plan with industry and the devolved administrations by summer 2026.

The stated reason is delivery capacity — in plain terms, there are not enough trained assessors and the supporting systems are not ready. The National Residential Landlords Association had warned about exactly this weeks earlier.

What is still confirmed

The delay is to the timetable, not the substance. Still going ahead:

• The single A–G letter is replaced by four headline metrics: fabric performance, heating system, energy cost and smart readiness.
• Secondary metrics will include energy demand and a carbon-based measure.
• The ten-year validity period is retained. This was not a given, and it matters more than most of the rest.

What it changes for you: less than you would think

If you are selling or letting now, nothing changes. You need a valid EPC, it works the way it always has, and it lasts ten years from lodgement.

If you are a landlord planning for the C standard, nothing changes either — and this is the important one. The 1 October 2030 deadline for privately rented homes sits in a separate policy stream from the certificate redesign. A delay to how EPCs are presented is not a delay to the standard you must meet.

If you were waiting for the new-style certificate before doing anything, you have just been given eighteen more months of waiting for a decision you could make now.

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