The best EPC improvement and retrofit providers for UK landlords in 2026

The right order for getting a rental property to EPC C is a retrofit assessment first, fabric measures second, heating third, and a post-retrofit EPC last, and the right providers follow that order: a TrustMark-registered retrofit assessor or coordinator working to PAS 2035 to produce the costed plan, an accredited insulation installer for loft, cavity, floor and where needed solid wall, then a heat pump provider such as Octopus Energy, Aira, British Gas or a Heat Geek installer if the fabric and the budget allow, with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme's £7,500 grant covering much of the heating cost. The government confirmed in January 2026 that privately rented homes in England and Wales must meet a new EPC C standard by 1 October 2030, that landlords must spend up to £10,000 per property before registering a ten-year cost-cap exemption, that spend since 1 October 2025 counts, and that the penalty for non-compliance rises to £30,000 per property. This guide sets out which provider to engage at each stage, the grants that fund them, and how the cost cap works, with policy checked on 5 September 2026 and final regulations still to be laid.

The rules themselves are in our MEES entry and EPC guide; this article is about who does the work. Run the property through the EPC improvement calculator to see which measures move it to C before you speak to anyone.

Which provider at which stage

What we compared

We assessed provider types on the accreditation the funding requires (TrustMark for grant-funded fabric, MCS for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, PAS 2035 for coordinated retrofit), national reach, whether the provider claims the grant for you, and whether they will scope to the standard rather than sell one measure. We did not rank installers on price, because retrofit is quoted per property.

Stage one: the retrofit assessment

Do not buy a measure before you have a plan. A retrofit assessment, typically £250 to £500, surveys the fabric, models the EPC under the new methodology and produces a costed, ordered list of measures with the expected rating after each, which is the document every grant scheme, and the cost-cap exemption, will ask for. Under the new standard landlords must first invest towards a primary fabric performance standard before heating counts, so an assessment that starts with a heat pump is wrong. TrustMark's register lists retrofit assessors and coordinators by postcode; CPH Retrofit offers PAS 2035 coordination and technical monitoring nationally; Cucumber Eco publishes detailed landlord guidance and offers assessments. Ask any assessor whether the report models the reformed EPC metrics, not the old ones.

Stage two: fabric

Loft insulation to 270mm, cavity wall insulation where the walls are cavity, floor insulation and draught-proofing are the cheap wins and move most D-rated properties close to C. Solid wall insulation is the expensive one, often £8,000 to £15,000 external, and the reason the cost cap exists; a solid-wall terrace that cannot reach C inside £10,000 is the standard exemption case. Use TrustMark-registered installers, because grant-funded work must be lodged with TrustMark and non-compliant work can be ordered remediated within eight weeks or the funding clawed back. ECO4, the supplier-funded scheme for low-income households, runs until 31 December 2026 with no successor obligation; the Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026.

Stage three: heating

A heat pump is the route to C for a property whose fabric is done and whose gas boiler still leaves it short under the new metrics. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump and, since April 2026, £2,500 towards an air-to-air system, with the EPC pre-condition removed, and it is open to landlords as applicants; a temporary £9,000 uplift for oil and LPG-heated homes runs from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. Octopus Energy, Aira and British Gas install nationally and claim the grant for you; the Heat Geek network and manufacturer partner installers (Vaillant, Daikin, Mitsubishi) suit a landlord who wants a named local engineer. Check the design includes a heat-loss calculation, radiator upgrades where needed and a tenant briefing, because a badly designed heat pump raises the tenant's bills and the complaints with them. A heat pump replaces the boiler cover decision; see the best boiler cover for landlords.

Stage four and five: controls, solar and the post-retrofit EPC

Smart heating controls and, where the roof suits, solar PV cut the modelled energy cost and can be the last point or two the property needs. Then commission a fresh EPC from an accredited assessor before 1 October 2030; the reasonable cost of the assessment counts towards the cap. August's compliance tracker holds the EPC, its expiry and the evidence of qualifying spend since October 2025 against the property.

The grants, and what they do to the cap

Grant funding counts as spend towards the £10,000 cap except Boiler Upgrade Scheme money, so a landlord with a qualifying tenant can reach the cap largely on public money and register the exemption if the property still falls short. Several lenders discount green buy-to-let products; see the best buy-to-let mortgage lenders.

The cost cap and exemption

Once a landlord has spent £10,000 on relevant measures, including counted grant funding and reasonable assessment costs, and the property still does not meet the standard, they can register a ten-year exemption and continue to let. Evidence is the assessment, the invoices and the post-retrofit EPC. Log every invoice against the property in expense tracking; the cap is evidenced by receipts, and improvement spend is mostly capital, not revenue, so see allowable expenses for landlords before assuming it is deductible. Heating and damp hazards carry fixed timescales under part two of the Renters' Rights hub, so a cold, damp property is a compliance problem before 2030, not after it.

From working with landlords across the UK, the ones best placed for 2030 did the assessment in 2025 and 2026 while installers were available and grants were open; the ones who wait for the final regulations will meet a market where every D-rated rental in the country is competing for the same installers in 2029.

Frequently asked questions

Who can help me get my rental to EPC C?

A TrustMark-registered retrofit assessor first, then TrustMark insulation installers, then an MCS heat pump installer such as Octopus, Aira, British Gas or a Heat Geek engineer, then an accredited EPC assessor. In that order.

Can landlords claim the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?

Yes, as the applicant, through an MCS-certified installer who usually claims it for you: £7,500 for an air or ground source heat pump, £2,500 for air-to-air, and a temporary £9,000 uplift for oil and LPG homes until 31 March 2027. It does not count towards the cost cap.

What if my property cannot reach EPC C?

Spend up to £10,000 on the assessed measures, then register a ten-year cost-cap exemption with the evidence. Solid-wall properties are the usual case.

Do I need August to manage EPC compliance?

No. You need an assessment, accredited installers and the paperwork kept. August tracks the EPC and holds the invoices that evidence the cap. You can start for free.

This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. The MEES 2030 regulations had not been laid at the time of writing and details may change. Check gov.uk and the scheme pages before committing spend.