News roundup Sept 2026
All About Energy — Monthly News Update
September 2026 · EPCs, MEES and energy efficiency for Nottingham landlords, letting agents and homeowners
Welcome to this month's roundup — the EPC, MEES and energy efficiency news that could affect your property, put together by your local Nottingham assessors.
This month's headlines
Warm Homes Loan Scheme launching this month
Government has confirmed that its new Warm Homes Loan Scheme is expected to launch this September. It puts up to £300 million of government funding behind participating lenders to reduce interest rates on loans for home energy improvements — heat pumps, solar PV, batteries and the enabling work that goes with them — with the aim of backing around £2 billion of private lending by 2030. Loans can be combined with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, installations must be carried out by MCS-certified installers, and standard affordability and credit checks apply. Insulation isn't currently covered, but it's a useful new route to finance the bigger-ticket items landlords and homeowners need for a stronger EPC.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme: EPC no longer required to apply
Worth flagging if you've had homeowners or landlord clients ask about heat pump grants: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme no longer requires a current EPC to apply — utility bills and photos can now be used instead where no valid EPC exists. Air-to-air heat pumps are also newly eligible for a £2,500 grant on residential properties, and the scheme itself has been extended through to 2030 to align with the rental sector's EPC C deadline. It's a helpful simplification for one-off grant applications — though a proper EPC is still the right starting point for anyone planning a wider retrofit, since it's what actually tells you where the heat (and money) is being lost.
On the radar
EPC reform delayed to late 2027
You may have seen headlines about a new-look EPC — replacing the single A–G rating with separate metrics for energy cost, fabric performance, heating system and smart readiness. That's still coming, but government confirmed earlier this year that it's been delayed from its original October 2026 target to the second half of 2027. In short: if you're due an EPC now, it'll still be the familiar A–G certificate you know — nothing to hold off for at this stage.
EPC C by 2030 — the deadline that matters most
The confirmed requirement under the Warm Homes Plan is that rented homes will need to reach at least an EPC C rating (where one is legally required) by 1 October 2030, with landlords expected to spend up to £10,000 per property over ten years working towards it, subject to exemptions (the cap is scaled down to 10% of value for homes worth under £100,000). Costs incurred from October 2025 onwards count towards that cap. Government has also launched an updated exemptions register (via GOV.UK One Login) and a public MEES register that lets anyone search a postcode to see whether a rental property has a registered exemption or an outstanding penalty — so exemptions now need to be properly evidenced and kept up to date, not just assumed. If you haven't had a fresh EPC done recently, this is a good time to find out where your property currently stands and what a realistic route to a C would look like.
Nottingham is one of the toughest spots in the country for this
Research published this year by EPCGuide put Nottingham East among the worst-affected areas in England, with 64% of rental properties currently below EPC C — the second-highest non-compliance rate of any area studied, behind only Manchester Gorton. It's a reminder that this isn't a distant, abstract deadline for our area: a lot of local landlords have real work to plan for, and starting early — while contractors and materials are easier to come by — puts you in a much stronger position than leaving it until the back half of the decade.
Free local funding is still available
Nearly £18 million has been allocated across Nottinghamshire's councils under the Warm Homes: Local Grant, with Nottingham City Council holding £7.4 million of that to fund free insulation, solar panels, double-glazing and air source heat pumps for several hundred eligible homes. It's aimed at homes currently rated EPC D–G where the household earns under £36,000, receives certain benefits, or falls in an approved postcode — worth mentioning to homeowner clients or tenants who might qualify, via Nottingham Energy Partnership (0115 947 2207).
A quick note from us
If any of the above raises questions about a specific property — whether it's heading toward EPC C, what an assessment would cost, or just wanting a certificate renewed before it expires — get in touch and we'll be happy to help. We're based in Nottingham and cover Nottingham and the surrounding areas.
All About Energy | Nottingham domestic EPC assessments
Sources
Warm Homes Loan Scheme Q&A — DESNZ, via Energy Efficiency Association
Boiler Upgrade Scheme changes (28 April 2026, updated) — Home Energy Model
Government confirms EPC reform will be postponed to second half of 2027 — Elmhurst Energy
EPC C: Government launches new exemptions register — NRLA
New MEES Register: what PRS landlords should know — Elmhurst Energy
Hotspots where landlords face huge EPC challenge — LandlordZone
Almost £18m funding to make hundreds of Notts homes more energy efficient — My Nottingham News