A roadmap to enable scalable, high-quality retrofit across the UK
The National Retrofit Hub (NRH) has published "The Future Of Energy Performance Certificates: A Roadmap for Change," a detailed report calling for critical updates to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to support large-scale, high-quality retrofitting across the UK. Released ahead of the government’s anticipated consultation on EPC reform, this report is based on a wide-ranging research effort involving extensive desktop analysis, cross-sector engagement workshops, and insights. It also features an industry-wide survey, conducted in partnership with Futurebuild, gathering input from over 300 professionals across the sector. It presents an eight-stage roadmap designed to address pressing industry needs for improved accuracy, trustworthiness, and relevance in EPCs.
The NRH encourages industry stakeholders to download the report, use its insights to inform feedback on the upcoming consultation, and share it widely to ensure a broad, informed response to this important policy opportunity.
Survey highlights gaps and areas for improvement*
The report uncovers significant challenges within the current EPC system, based on extensive feedback and engagement with the sector:
· 57% of respondents have little to no trust in EPC ratings, with many expressing doubts about their accuracy and usefulness.
· 58% believe EPCs only slightly or moderately encourage home improvements, limiting their role in driving energy efficiency.
· Only 5% support the use of current cost metrics to set Net Zero targets, favouring carbon or energy use intensity metrics instead.
· 87% of respondents agree that EPCs should reflect a building’s impact on occupant health and wellbeing.
· 86% call for incorporating real-world data, and 80% support adding peak energy demand data to aid grid management and planning.
These findings underscore the need for EPCs to evolve into tools that are not only accurate but also actionable and trusted by both consumers and professionals.
Our recommendations: an eight-stage roadmap for reform
Based on these insights, the NRH proposes an eight-stage roadmap to reform EPCs, enabling effective, scalable retrofit across the UK:
1. Set clear targets for EPC improvement and uptake.
2. Improve cost and carbon metrics to support Net Zero goals.
3. Introduce confidence ratings for greater transparency and reliability.
4. Include optional metrics to reflect diverse building needs.
5. Enhance recommendations for meaningful, outcome-focused guidance.
6. Endorse digital building logbooks for ongoing, comprehensive data tracking.
7. Expand 'trigger points' to ensure EPCs are updated at key stages.
8. Launch a national campaign and rebrand EPCs to promote a holistic understanding of building performance.
"To achieve our retrofit ambitions, EPCs must become trusted, effective tools that genuinely support the transition to low-carbon, healthy, resilient homes," says Rachael Owens, NRH Co-Director. "Our roadmap lays out a clear path forward, and we’re calling on policymakers, industry leaders, and financial institutions to work with us to make this happen.
“Effective collaboration in EPC research drives innovation, solves complex challenges, and accelerates progress. By uniting expertise across disciplines, organisations can harness collective intelligence, ensuring projects are not only efficient but transformative. Building a strong network of trusted partnerships fosters knowledge sharing, shaping the future of engineering, procurement, and construction together."
Download the full report
To access the full report, please visit link. We encourage stakeholders to review the report's insights and findings and use this information to support feedback on the government’s forthcoming consultation on EPCs.
Get involved: Join our upcoming webinar
The NRH invites all interested parties to join a webinar on Wednesday 4th December from 1pm to 2pm, where we will delve deeper into the report’s findings and recommendations. This session will provide a platform to explore practical steps for implementing these reforms and contribute to the ongoing conversation around EPC reform.
Quotes of support:
Emma Lower, Lendology: “EPC reform is critical to aligning the system with energy efficiency standards, climate change objectives, and customer needs. By making the EPC more accurate, it could better reflect the real energy use, support renewables, and be more customer-friendly. We believe that a reformed system can play a pivotal role in driving decarbonisation and improving building performance, which addresses sustainability and affordability.”
Martin Hurn, Futurebuild: “This report is a key milestone in helping to drive EPC reform. “It’s vital that the views of industry are heard and implemented. Collaboration is a key part of Futurebuild’s purpose and we are delighted to be supporting this project in the gathering of industry insights to help drive this roadmap forward.”
Alastair Mumford, Programmes Director at The MCS Foundation: “EPC reform has long been called for by the retrofit sector to provide greater clarity and better information to homeowners. This report sets out a potential roadmap for reform, based on important sector consultation and agreement, for increased uptake of revised EPCs, including digital logbooks for buildings. This report should be a spur to positive action.”
Steven Heath, Knauf Insulation: “We will soon ask millions of households to improve home efficiency and change how they heat their homes. This transition is not without risk – not least in the size of our monthly heating bills. The EPC must become a tool to communicate what home energy performance ‘is’ rather than what it ‘might be’. Real world measurement is the key to accurate, reliable and trusted EPCs. We hope this report and the wider EPC review will deliver a staged EPC transition from ‘estimation to measurement’.”
Tom Oldfield, Mixergy: "This report from the National Retrofit Hub offers a comprehensive, well-researched, and unique perspective on how we can evolve and transform our EPC to drive the decarbonisation of our homes. Home energy-saving technologies are fast advancing, and EPC reform will be critical in incentivising homeowners, landlords, and developers to adopt them. Recognising smart energy metrics will not only show the energy and carbon savings but will also support the specification of grid-enabling technologies, such as the Mixergy smart hot water cylinder, to help onboard the much-needed wind and solar farms of the future, supporting the upcoming SSES legislation.”
Stephanie Landymore, Sustainability Lead, Ecology Building Society: “Reforms to EPCs are long overdue. We hope the Government recognises the significant efforts made through the National Retrofit Hub to present solutions endorsed across interested sectors. Right now, making green improvements to your home can be a big investment in time and money. So, it’s vital that people have useful, reliable facts to be able to make informed decisions to best suit their needs, which will save them money on their fuel bills as well as cut their carbon emissions.”
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