Energy Systems Catapult published a report on 16 June 2025 setting out how energy improvements in the private rental sector could be accelerated beyond current MEES: Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for Rented Homes1. The independent body said improving the energy performance of privately rented homes is crucial for the UK's net zero transition and for raising living standards, but that the sector lags because of low awareness, complex tenant and landlord dynamics, cost concerns and skills shortages1.
The report makes four recommendations. It calls for EPC metrics to be aligned with desired outcomes and for outcome-based minimum energy efficiency standards to be adopted, which it says would drive investment in cost-effective, low-carbon retrofits and encourage innovation. It proposes place-based one-stop shops across the UK to streamline access to high-quality retrofit services and foster local supply chains. It recommends a diverse mix of retrofit financing options suited to different landlord profiles and financial circumstances. It also proposes integrating a digital building passport with the new private rental database to improve data-driven monitoring, simplify enforcement and reduce local authority burdens1.
"Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes is crucial for the UK's Net Zero transition and for raising living standards, yet this sector lags due to low awareness, complex tenant-landlord dynamics, cost concerns, and skills shortages."
The report's four recommendations are summarised below.
| Recommendation | Stated aim |
|---|---|
| Outcome-based MEES aligned with EPC metrics | Drive investment in cost-effective, low-carbon retrofits and encourage innovation |
| Place-based one-stop shops across the UK | Streamline access to high-quality retrofit services and foster local supply chains |
| A diverse mix of retrofit financing options | Suit different landlord profiles and financial circumstances |
| Digital building passport integrated with the new private rental database | Improve data-driven monitoring, simplify enforcement and reduce local authority burdens |
The report does not set out proposed EPC bands, target dates, cost figures or funding amounts, and none have been reported1. The Catapult frames its recommendations as targeted government action on clear landlord requirements, locally coordinated retrofit support, tailored financing solutions and enhanced compliance monitoring1.
Why it matters for households
Privately rented homes are the part of the housing stock where energy performance has proved hardest to shift, and the report's diagnosis points to the reasons: tenants often lack the ability or incentive to commission work, landlords weigh up cost against a return they may not recover, and the practical route to getting work done is unclear. For a household in the UK private rented sector, the energy performance of the home sets a ceiling on how much can be done to cut bills and exposure to price swings without the landlord's agreement, and on how warm the property can be kept affordably.
The proposals go to the mechanics rather than the headline target. Outcome-based standards would judge a home on the result achieved rather than a modelled score, which matters where the EPC rating and real performance diverge. One-stop shops would put advice, trades and quality assurance in one local place, addressing the skills and supply gaps the report identifies. Financing options aimed at different landlord circumstances speak to the split between a landlord with one property and a portfolio. A digital building passport tied to the rental database would make a home's condition and history visible to those enforcing standards, which bears on whether rules are followed in practice.
None of this changes what a tenant or landlord can do today. The report is a set of recommendations to government, not a change in the rules, and it does not say what any of it would cost a household or a landlord1.
What happens next
No implementation timetable, consultation or funding commitment is attached to the report, and none has been reported1. The recommendations concern reserved and devolved policy areas differently, and the report does not set out how they would apply in each nation; the Scottish Building Standards and the Building Warrant System is one example of where the compliance route differs. Households in flats and apartments face additional constraints, since works often need agreement across owners and any request to a landlord for energy improvements depends on the tenancy and the property.