The retrofit skills gap is now delaying government policy itself

There is a particular kind of vindication in watching a trade body's warning become government policy. The National Residential Landlords Association argued that reforming Energy Performance Certificates on the original timetable was not realistic given the shortage of qualified assessors and the training required for a new methodology. In March 2026 the launch was pushed to the second half of 2027.

Why the shortage is real

Domestic energy assessment already went through its biggest change in years when RdSAP 10 came into force in mid-2025 — more detail on wall construction and insulation, and every window measured individually rather than sampled. That alone lengthened the survey and required every assessor to retrain.

The reformed regime goes further, moving the calculation towards the Home Energy Model and replacing a single A–G letter with four separate metrics. Retraining a whole profession for that, while the same profession is also being asked to deliver the assessment volume the Warm Homes Plan implies, was always going to collide.

Government has recognised the problem in funding terms — the Warm Homes Plan includes a Heat Training Grant of around £7m a year from 2026 to 2029. Training capacity, though, takes time to convert into working assessors and installers.

What it means if you need an assessment

Two practical consequences.

First, availability will tighten before it loosens, particularly around deadlines. If you are a landlord planning for the C standard, the worst possible time to look for an assessor is the month everyone else realises they need one.

Second, quality varies more when supply is tight. A rushed thirty-minute survey under RdSAP 10 is not a thorough one. Ask how long the visit will take, and be suspicious of anyone promising a certificate without a proper look at the loft, the walls and every window.

Book an EPC, or read our take on what the reform delay changes.