Reforming energy performance across England and Wales

RICS welcomes the launch of the government’s consultation on reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) regime. This proposal, covering England and Wales, represents a critical step toward ensuring homes and buildings contribute meaningfully to the UK’s net-zero goals, addressing key areas where improvements have been long overdue.

RICS has consistently advocated for enhanced Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) accuracy, reliability, and integration into broader decarbonisation frameworks. As part of COP28 last year, RICS called for an overhaul of energy measurement to support effective decarbonisation policies, calling for reformed EPCs to provide practical, actionable insight that encourages investment in energy efficiency and sustainability measures across the built environment.

Proposals to modernise EPC methodologies to reflect changing building technologies, improve compliance mechanisms to ensure regulatory adherence, and streamline tools for better accessibility and usability are welcome. This will be especially important as further investments in the Warm Homes Programme are delivered, and it will support some of the concerns landlords have raised with RICS as part of minimum energy efficiency standards in the rental sector.

Surveyors have repeatedly called for major reforms in how we measure energy efficiency and decarbonisation progress. To support the RICS response to the consultation, members are encouraged to join our workshop 15 January 2025, 15:30-17:00 GMT.