Higher rate efficiency standards (HRAD)
Higher rate efficiency standards, sometimes abbreviated to HRAD, was the shorthand used in this August dictionary, and in some early industry commentary, to describe the proposed next tier of minimum energy performance requirements for privately rented homes in England and Wales. That is, the move from the existing EPC band E baseline toward a higher standard such as EPC C.
HRAD is not a term used in any government publication, consultation document, or statutory instrument. It does not appear in the Warm Homes Plan, the government's January 2026 response to its consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes, or in the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 as proposed to be amended. The official framing throughout is "higher Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES).
What the policy now says
On 21 January 2026, the government confirmed through the Warm Homes Plan that all privately rented properties in England and Wales will be required to achieve a minimum EPC band C by 1 October 2030. This is a single compliance date applying to new and existing tenancies. Landlords will be required to invest up to £10,000 per property on qualifying energy efficiency improvements, with any qualifying expenditure from 1 October 2025 counting towards that cap. Where a property cannot reach EPC C after £10,000 has been invested, an exemption can be registered. The regulations to give legal effect to this standard are expected to be laid as a statutory instrument in 2027.
A new assessment methodology, the Home Energy Model (HEM), will replace the current Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) for EPC assessments from H2 2027, with HEM becoming mandatory for new EPCs from 1 October 2029. Properties that achieve EPC C under the current SAP system before 1 October 2029 will be treated as compliant until the EPC expires.
Where to find the accurate current guidance
For a full explanation of the current EPC E minimum, the 2030 EPC C roadmap, how the cost cap and exemptions work, and what practical steps landlords should take now, see:
The August definition of energy efficiency rules, the umbrella entry for the full framework
The August definition of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), the specific regulatory mechanism
The August MEES guide for landlords, the practical advisory guide covering the 2030 requirement, cost cap, exemptions, and improvement strategy
