Citizens Advice published its response to the government consultation on reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime on 26 February 20251. The charity set out positions on consumer information, the validity period of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), private rented sector requirements and quality control1.
On the content of EPCs, Citizens Advice said it supports more information for consumers but warned that multiple metrics could make certificates harder to use. It said energy cost and fabric performance must be prioritised, particularly for schemes designed to combat fuel poverty, and that further metrics must be designed to avoid incentivising changes that could increase bills, particularly in the private rented sector1.
"We support an increased level of information for consumers to give them a more holistic view of the energy performance of their homes. But moving to a system of multiple metrics risks making EPCs too complex for consumers to engage with easily."
The response backs a move to a five-year validity period, which it says would improve accuracy while minimising burdens on households. It also supports improved requirements in the private rented sector, including requiring valid EPCs throughout tenancies and expanding EPC requirements to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)1. The private rented sector in the UK, its size, stock and energy performance, is covered in the site's guide to the UK private rented sector.
On quality, Citizens Advice said quality control and monitoring must be a key focus of a future EPC regime, and that changes to the format of EPCs will only deliver the intended results if consumers trust them to be an accurate reflection of their properties1.
The consultation forms part of the process by which rules on EPCs are proposed, decided and changed, which is set out in the site's guide to energy consultations and how policy is made. Citizens Advice is one of the energy consumer bodies that represents household interests in such processes. The wider framework of EPC regulations and reform is where these proposals sit.
Why it matters for households
An EPC is the document a householder, buyer or tenant is most likely to encounter when assessing a home's energy performance, and it underpins policies aimed at fuel poverty and net zero1. How long a certificate stays valid, what it measures and whether it can be trusted affect the information available to anyone considering energy work on a home.
The validity period matters because a certificate that is several years old may no longer reflect a property accurately. A five-year period, which Citizens Advice supports, would shorten the gap between assessment and use1. The proposal to require valid EPCs throughout tenancies and to extend requirements to HMOs would change what private tenants can expect to be in place1. The private rented sector has its own energy efficiency standards in Scotland, covered in the site's guide to energy efficiency standards for privately rented homes in Scotland, and buildings policy is devolved, with separate arrangements in Wales and Scotland.
The charity's caution on multiple metrics speaks to a practical risk: if a certificate reports several measures that point in different directions, a householder may find it harder to judge what work would reduce bills1. Its call for quality control addresses whether the certificate reflects the property at all1.
What happens next
The response was published on 26 February 20251. No date for the government's decision on the consultation, or for any resulting changes to the EPC regime, has been reported.