Energy Systems Catapult published its response to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes in England and Wales on 15 May 20251. The Catapult, an independent technology and innovation body, said it supports the government's proposals to raise the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for the sector to EPC C from 20301.
The consultation, described by the Catapult as the 2025 update, covers the DESNZ proposals for privately rented homes in England and Wales1. The Catapult said raising the standard would stimulate the market for home energy improvements in the private rental sector and provide incentives for innovation1.
On how performance should be measured, the Catapult said MEES should focus on the outcomes that improvements deliver, and that Energy Performance Certificates should be reformed to provide outcome-based metrics1. It named three key metrics: Energy Use (excluding microgeneration), Climate Impact, and Energy Cost1. The Catapult also agreed that the cost cap should be increased to reflect the greater investment needed to upgrade homes to EPC C1. It said that instead of introducing additional exemptions, the government should focus on ensuring support and advice is available to enable all privately rented properties to be upgraded1.
"The Catapult supports the government’s proposals to increase the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) to EPC C from 2030."
The response also proposes a database of digital building passports for all properties, alongside the introduction of the landlords register, to improve access to data on the energy performance of properties and ensure EPCs can be efficiently updated when relevant changes are made to the property1.
Why it matters for households
MEES set the minimum standard a landlord can lawfully let a property at, so the level they are set at, and the date they take effect, determine what work is carried out on rented homes and when. A move to EPC C from 2030 would mean a large share of the private rented stock needs physical improvement, most commonly insulation and glazing measures, rather than administrative changes1.
For a household, the practical effect runs in two directions. A higher standard can mean a warmer, cheaper-to-run home, because the measures that lift an EPC rating are largely the same ones that cut heat loss. It can also affect whether a property stays on the rental market, and how a landlord recovers the cost of works, which is where the cost cap matters. The Catapult's position that the cap should rise, and that exemptions should not be widened, points to a preference for upgrading homes rather than exempting them1.
The Catapult's call for outcome-based EPC metrics bears on what a rating actually tells a household. Energy Use, Climate Impact and Energy Cost measure different things, and a certificate built on them would describe running costs and emissions rather than a single headline grade1. Reform of the EPC regulations is a separate process from the MEES consultation.
What happens next
The Catapult's response is one submission to a government consultation. No date for the government's response to the consultation, or for final decisions on the standard, the metrics or the cost cap, has been reported1. The Catapult's proposal for digital building passports alongside a landlords register is a recommendation, not a confirmed policy1.