Rented homes close to EPC C
512,299 privately rented homes in England and Wales are rated D and sit within 4 SAP points of band C. That is 27.8% of private rentals below C. Separately, 54,871 below-C rentals are one recommended measure from C on their own certificate (3.0% of them), and the two groups overlap. The most common sole measure is 50 mm internal or external wall insulation on 16,990 homes, which certificates price at £4,000 to £14,000.
Source: EPCGuide analysis of the domestic EPC register for England and Wales (GOV.UK bulk file, 13 October 2026). Unit: homes (newest certificate per home). Method.
How many rented homes are close to C?
The register holds 3.5 million privately rented homes in England and Wales, and 52.7% of them are below band C. Of the private rentals rated D to G, 27.8% score 65 to 68, so one to four SAP points would put them in band C. Widen the window to 9 points (a score of 60 to 68) and the count reaches 1.0 million.
1.7 million below-C rentals show a potential rating of C or above on their certificate. Of the 512,299 homes within 4 points, 502,477 have a potential of C or above.
| SAP score | Where they sit | Homes | Share of rentals rated D to G |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65 to 68 | Band D, 1 to 4 points short | 512,299 | 27.8% |
| 60 to 64 | Band D, 5 to 9 points short | 507,895 | 27.6% |
| 55 to 59 | Band D, 10 to 14 points short | 348,459 | 18.9% |
| 39 to 54 | Band E | 426,884 | 23.2% |
| 21 to 38 | Band F | 33,086 | 1.8% |
| 1 to 20 | Band G | 13,324 | 0.7% |
Which single measure would get them there?
54,871 below-C rentals have exactly one recommendation on their certificate, and that recommendation lifts the potential rating to C or above. Of those, 31,668 also sit within 4 points of C. The table lists the most common sole measures.
| Sole recommended measure | Homes | Share of one-measure homes |
|---|---|---|
| 50 mm internal or external wall insulation | 16,990 | 31.0% |
| High heat retention storage heaters and dual immersion cylinder | 12,164 | 22.2% |
| High heat retention storage heaters | 11,977 | 21.8% |
| Flat roof or sloping ceiling insulation | 3,108 | 5.7% |
| Cavity wall insulation | 2,749 | 5.0% |
| Change heating to gas condensing boiler | 1,223 | 2.2% |
| Floor insulation (solid floor) | 1,174 | 2.1% |
| Increase loft insulation to 270 mm | 904 | 1.6% |
| Floor insulation (suspended floor) | 776 | 1.4% |
| Solar photovoltaic panels, 2.5 kWp | 669 | 1.2% |
50 mm internal or external wall insulation is the most common, on 16,990 homes.
What does the certificate say it costs?
Each certificate prints an indicative cost range for its recommendations. The table shows the median low and high end of those ranges for each measure. For 50 mm internal or external wall insulation the certificates give £4,000 to £14,000.
| Sole recommended measure | Median low end | Median high end |
|---|---|---|
| 50 mm internal or external wall insulation | £4,000 | £14,000 |
| High heat retention storage heaters and dual immersion cylinder | £1,200 | £1,800 |
| High heat retention storage heaters | £800 | £1,600 |
| Flat roof or sloping ceiling insulation | £850 | £1,500 |
| Cavity wall insulation | £500 | £1,500 |
| Change heating to gas condensing boiler | £3,000 | £7,000 |
| Floor insulation (solid floor) | £4,000 | £6,000 |
| Increase loft insulation to 270 mm | £100 | £350 |
| Floor insulation (suspended floor) | £800 | £1,200 |
| Solar photovoltaic panels, 2.5 kWp | £8,000 | £10,000 |
For a wider view of what moving a band D home up to C costs, see our cost guide for that upgrade. For the lowest-cost measures ranked side by side, see the cheapest EPC improvements.
How far should you trust these numbers?
Three limits apply to every figure above.
- Costs are estimates.Indicative costs are the certificate's printed estimates. They can be years old and are not quotes.
- A near miss is not a guarantee.A score within 4 points does not mean a specific measure will lift the home to 69. The certificate's potential rating is a model output.
- Tenure can be out of date. Tenure is as recorded on the newest certificate. A home may have been sold or let differently since it was lodged.
Does this matter for the 2030 EPC C standard?
Government has said it intends to require EPC band C in the private rented sector in England and Wales from 1 October 2030. That is confirmed policy, not yet law. The minimum EPC band you must meet to let a property in England and Wales today is E. That has been the case since 1 April 2020. The near-miss group is the part of the private rented stock where the proposed standard would ask for the smallest score gain. The full rules are in our guide to the proposed 2030 EPC C standard.
Data extract: 13 October 2026. Source: EPCGuide analysis of the domestic EPC register for England and Wales (GOV.UK bulk file, 13 October 2026).
Method
Extract. The GOV.UK bulk download of the domestic EPC register for England and Wales, file last updated 13 October 2026, covering certificates lodged from 2008 to 13 October 2026. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Unit.Homes. A home is counted once, on its newest certificate: the register’s yearly files are read from the newest year back and the first certificate found for a home is kept, so within one year the file’s own order decides. A home is identified by its UPRN where the register records one, otherwise by its first address line and postcode.
Below C. A current energy rating of D, E, F or G. Band C starts at a SAP score of 69.
Close to C. A current SAP score of 65 to 68, which is band D and 1 to 4 points below the start of band C at 69.
One measure from C.The certificate lists exactly one recommendation and gives a potential rating of C or above. This is the certificate's own calculation.
Shares. Unless a table says otherwise, percentages on this page are shares of privately rented homes rated D to G.
Reproducibility. The figures on this page are generated by scripts/epc-data-stories.py from the extract above. Nothing is sampled or modelled.