How to Improve Your EPC Rating

Yes, you can improve your EPC rating. The biggest gains usually come from stopping heat escaping and heating the home more cheaply. In practice, that means insulation and heating first, with smaller extras after. However, the right steps depend on your own property, so the best place to start is the certificate you already have.

This guide explains which improvements make the most difference, why the same upgrade works better in some homes than others, what it costs, and why a rating sometimes does not go up after work. To find your current certificate, use our free EPC rating check.

Start with your current certificate

Your EPC already contains a plan for your home. So before you get quotes for anything, look at three parts of it:

• The recommendations. These list suggested measures for your property, in a sensible order, with an indicative cost for each.
• The potential rating. This shows the band the home could reach if you carried out the recommendations. It is an estimate, not a promise.
• The feature ratings. The certificate rates each part of the home, such as the walls, roof, windows, heating and hot water. Anything marked “very poor” or “poor” is usually pulling the score down most.

If your certificate is several years old, it may not show work done since. In that case, a fresh assessment gives you an up-to-date starting point.

The improvements that make the biggest difference

An EPC scores how well a home holds heat and how much it costs to heat. As a result, a few big changes usually matter far more than lots of small ones. Here are the main measures, roughly in the order many homes see the most benefit:

1. Loft insulation. If your loft has a thin layer or none at all, topping it up is often one of the cheapest and quickest gains.
2. Cavity wall insulation. Many homes built from the 1930s onwards have cavity walls. If the cavity is still empty, filling it can be one of the biggest single steps.
3. Heating controls. A programmer, a room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves help the heating run only where and when it is needed.
4. A more efficient boiler or heating system. An old boiler, or old electric storage heaters, can hold a rating back more than almost anything else.
5. Hot water. Insulating a hot water cylinder, or adding a cylinder thermostat, is a small job that can help.
6. LED lighting and draught-proofing. These cost little. They rarely move a whole band on their own, but they add up.
7. Glazing. Double or secondary glazing scores better than single glazing. Even so, new windows often move the rating less than people expect for the money.
8. Solid wall insulation. Internal or external insulation can make a large difference in older homes, but it is a bigger and more disruptive job.
9. Renewables. Solar panels or a heat pump can lift a score a lot in the right home. They usually make most sense once the basics are done.

One common mistake is starting with the most visible upgrade, such as new windows or a new front door. Instead, check the loft, walls and heating first. Those usually matter more.

Why your type of home matters

Two homes on the same street can get very different results from the same upgrade. That is because the EPC measures the building, and buildings differ.

• Wall type. Cavity walls can often be filled quickly. Solid walls, common in homes built before the 1920s, need internal or external insulation instead.
• Built form. A mid-terrace shares two walls with neighbours, so it loses less heat. A detached house has four exposed sides.
• Roof. A loft you can reach is easy to top up. A room in the roof or a flat roof is harder.
• Flats. If you own a leasehold flat, you may not control the external walls, the roof or a shared heating system. So the heating and controls inside the flat often carry most of the weight, and the freeholder may need to agree to bigger work.
• Listed buildings and conservation areas. These may limit changes to windows, walls or solar panels, so check with your council before you plan work.

For band-by-band advice, see our guides to moving from D to C and improving an E rating.

How much does it cost to improve an EPC rating?

It depends on where your home starts and how far it needs to go. According to the government’s English Housing Survey 2022 to 2023 energy report, it cost around £7,400 on average to bring a home up to band C. However, a home near the top of band D may need far less. On the other hand, a solid-walled home in band E or F may need much more.

For a figure that fits your property, use the indicative costs on your own certificate. They are a rough guide, so get quotes before you commit.

Financial help also changes from time to time. Government-funded schemes may cover insulation or heating for some households. Check the government’s find ways to save energy in your home service for what is available now.

Why your rating may not go up after improvements

Sometimes a home has had upgrades, yet the new EPC barely moves. There are usually three reasons.

• No evidence. An assessor can only record what they can see or what you can prove. If insulation is hidden and there is no paperwork, the software may have to assume the older, less efficient option for the home’s age.
• The upgrade was not the main problem. For example, new windows will not fix a rating held down by empty cavity walls or an old boiler.
• The method has changed. The way EPCs are calculated is updated over time. As a result, the same home can score slightly differently on a newer certificate.

So keep the paperwork for any work you do, and have it ready for the visit. Useful documents include installer certificates for insulation, boiler paperwork, glazing certificates, and details of any solar panels or heat pump.

Can you raise the potential rating?

The potential rating is worked out from the improvements the assessor recommends for your home at the time of the visit. So it is not fixed forever. If you carry out work, or if your home has features the last assessor could not confirm, a new assessment may show a different current rating and a different potential rating. However, the potential rating is still an estimate, and no assessor can promise a particular result.

Improving a rental property

Landlords have extra reasons to act. A rented home in England and Wales must currently reach at least band E. Looking ahead, the government has confirmed that private rented homes must reach the equivalent of band C by 1 October 2030, covering new and existing tenancies. That is confirmed policy rather than law so far.

Importantly, a property that reaches band C on the current rating before 1 October 2029 is intended to count as compliant until that certificate expires. So improving a rental now, and then getting a new EPC, may settle the question for years. Our guide to EPC requirements for landlords covers the spending caps, exemptions and penalties.

Get a new EPC after the work

Your old certificate will not update by itself. A new assessment is the only way to show the improved rating. You can get one at any time, and it replaces the old certificate on the register. Our guide on how long an EPC lasts explains how renewal works.

Frequently asked questions

Can you improve your EPC rating?

Yes. Most homes can improve their rating, often by a band or more. Insulation and heating usually make the biggest difference. Your certificate’s recommendations and potential rating show what is realistic for your property.

What improves an EPC rating the most?

Usually, loft insulation, filling empty cavity walls, better heating controls and a more efficient heating system. In the right home, solar panels or a heat pump can also make a large difference.

How much does it cost to improve an EPC rating?

It varies widely. The government’s English Housing Survey found it cost around £7,400 on average to bring a home up to band C. However, a home near the top of a band may need far less. Your certificate lists indicative costs for your own property.

Does double glazing improve an EPC rating?

Yes, replacing single glazing helps. However, new windows often make less difference for the money than loft insulation, cavity wall insulation or better heating. So check your certificate’s recommendations before you buy windows.

Do LED bulbs improve an EPC rating?

A little. LED lighting is cheap and it does count, but it rarely moves a home up a whole band on its own.

Can I improve the EPC rating of a flat?

Often, yes. In a flat, the heating system, heating controls, hot water and lighting are usually the main options. For work on external walls, the roof or shared heating, you may need the freeholder’s agreement.

Why hasn’t my EPC rating gone up after improvements?

Usually because the assessor could not confirm the work, or because the upgrade was not what was holding the score down. Keep paperwork for every job, and check which features your certificate rates as poor.

Do I need a new EPC after making improvements?

Not legally, because your existing EPC stays valid for 10 years. However, a new EPC is the only way to show the better rating, which helps when you sell or let.

Are there grants to improve my EPC rating?

Sometimes. Government-funded schemes may help some households with insulation or heating, but they change from time to time. Check the government’s energy efficiency service for what is available now.

For more on what each band means, read EPC ratings explained, or browse all our EPC guides. With us, a new EPC costs £69 for up to 3 bedrooms or £79 for 4 bedrooms. When your work is done, you can book an EPC assessment in a few minutes.