LANDLORD KNOWLEDGE
My EPC is D — how do I get to C?
Find the size of the gap before buying an upgrade. Two D-rated homes can need very different plans.
Start with the number beside the D
Existing band D spans 55–68. Against today's band C threshold of 69, the gap can be 1–14 points. For example, D58 is 11 points below 69. That arithmetic describes the current score gap only; it does not predict an installation's effect.
Read the property, not just the recommendations
Compare the EPC descriptions with the home as it stands. Has the boiler been replaced? Is loft insulation recorded as assumed rather than measured? Are there invoices or photographs of previous insulation? The accredited assessor decides whether evidence can be used.
Compare a small number of sensible combinations
A top-floor flat, a terrace with solid walls and a cavity-wall semi may all be rated D. The flat may not have authority to alter the roof. The terrace may need careful moisture design. The semi may already have filled cavities. Use those constraints to eliminate unsuitable measures before comparing prices.
- Loft insulation: investigate recorded shallow insulation and access.
- Heating controls: check what is genuinely missing.
- Solar PV: assess roof suitability, rights and electrical supply.
- Wall insulation: consider construction, moisture, disruption and detailing.
Ask for the route, cost and evidence together
A useful proposal explains what each measure does, why it suits the property, what remains uncertain and what assessment is needed. Ask whether the projected rating assumes measures are installed together or in sequence. Keep a contingency for discoveries during a survey.
What if the cheapest route cannot be verified?
Do not treat the cheapest quotation as proof that it reaches the target. Request an assessor review of the combination. The upgrade planning tool records assumptions so the office can compare them openly.
GOV.UK: check the property's EPC and recommendation sequence.