Property owners in Scotland need to start planning for how to renovate homes they both rent out, AND live in. Proposals and timeframes for MEES differ from England and Wales, but the key objectives remain the same – to reduce energy use and carbon emissions generated by our homes.

The Decent Homes Standard hasn’t been updated for 20 years.. no wonder its mere existence is news to many people! An overhaul is on the way. DHS sets ‘baseline expectations of housing quality in the social rented sector’. That definition is changing... From 2035, the Decent Homes Standard will also apply to rentals in the private sector.

The new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for social housing in England will go live from April 2030. Landlords must ensure all homes comply by this deadline. If a property scores A-C using a current EPC, that's OK. If a property scores A-C under the fabric metric of the new EPC (available from the end of 2026), that's OK. For properties with a D, E, F or G rating, the landlord will need to make improvements to the energy performance.

The new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) go live from October 2030. Landlords must ensure all rentals comply by this deadline. If a property scores A-C using a current EPC, that's OK. If a property scores A-C under the fabric metric of the new EPC (available from the end of 2026), that's OK. For properties with a D, E, F or G rating, the landlord must spend up to £10,000 making fabric and service improvements outlined in the EPC recommendations.

The UK Government has set out plans to replace rdSAP10 assessments with the Home Energy Model. Domestic Energy Assessors (DEA) are still getting to grips with rdSAP10 (which was only implemented back in the summer) following years of delays. This consultation also considers how the new EPC metrics will be defined. You’ve got until March 18th, 2026 to have your say.

EPC certificates in England and Wales will be changing from October 2026. There will still be an A-G rating. But the single rating is being replaced with a dashboard of information, primarily focusing on fabric performance.

This consultation gives details for what the new EPC metrics may prioritise when assessors switch to the Home Energy Model. Fabric performance is likely to become the primary metric. It's highly possible that the whole of the UK will adopt a similar strategy in the coming years.