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Meanwhile, grants and incentives continue to steer the market. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme( BUS) currently provides £ 7,500 toward air-source and groundsource heat pumps in England and Wales. For many homes, this can be the nudge that makes low-carbon heating stack up.
For advisers, the takeaway is simple: clients( owner-occupiers and landlords) are increasingly open to installation measures that improve EPCs, lower bills, and protect asset value – and they want trusted guidance on how to achieve lowest cost improvements as well as advice on how to pay for them.
... clients are increasingly open to installation measures that improve EPCs, lower bills, and protect asset value...
Where we are today on standards
Landlord minimum standards( MEES) currently require EPC E or better to Let a property in England and Wales( exemptions apply). More recent proposals point toward EPC C, however, timings remain fluid. Even so, the direction of travel is unchanged: better-performing stock is easier to let, more resilient on valuation, and typically cheaper to run – so the risk-adjusted case for investing in efficiency remains robust.
Pragmatically, advisers can frame retrofit as a value and risk conversation rather than a compliance chore:
1 Value: improved thermal comfort, reduced running costs, stronger buyer / tenant appeal, and better longterm asset resilience.
1 Risk: potential future standards tightening, energy-price shocks, vacancy or discount risk for poor EPCs, maintenance exposure and tenant complaints / disputes.
What‘ retrofit’ actually means( and what moves the dial)
A credible retrofit plan prioritises fabric first( insulation, airtightness, ventilation) before heat system changes, then complements it with clean generation and controls. The highest-impact‘ building blocks’ advisers should expect to see in quotes and funding requests:
1. Fabric Loft top-up insulation, cavity wall insulation, draught-proofing, highperformance windows / doors, and trickle vents / MEV( 3) / MVHR( 4) where appropriate. Good fabric reduces heat demand and makes heat pumps and low-temp emitters feasible.
2. Heating and hot water Air-source or ground-source heat pumps are now more compelling with a BUS grant of £ 7,500 per install.
System design matters: radiator sizing, flow temperatures, and roomby-room heat-loss assessments are non-negotiable for performance.
3. Controls and monitoring Controlling your heating via your smart phone, Smart TRVs, and data-driven optimisation. These are modest-cost upgrades that improve comfort and savings.
4. On-site generation Solar PV( and, increasingly, batteries) can improve EPCs and reduce running costs, especially attractive for landlords on energy inclusive-rent models.
The landlord angle: what advisers should know
Cash flow and capex are the two friction points for landlords. Even when the business case is positive, landlords want clarity on:
1 All-in cost after grants( BUS), any local schemes, and VAT considerations.
1 Rentability and void risk during works – sequencing measures to minimise downtime.
1 Valuation evidence: surveyors increasingly consider EPC and running costs in their commentary; better ratings and modern systems can support a stronger narrative on yield and exit.
For context: Digital Buildings and Retrogreen are services working to make this easier.
1 Digital Buildings helps lenders unlock finance for retrofits by making projects investment-ready through verified data, digital twins, and compliance. They also operate a marketplace of pre-vetted, qualified contractors and installers, giving lenders and clients confidence that every funded project meets quality, regulatory, and delivery standards.
1 Retrogreen provides professional advice on retrofits, enabling advisers, landlords, and homeowners to develop fully costed and sequenced implementation plans. Through RetroPlanner, brokers and property owners can model energy-efficiency improvements, compare options, and collaborate on shared plans. The platform combines expert guidance with advisory and compliance support, giving property owners and brokers a clear, practical route from planning to completion.
These tools help produce bank-ready documents( scope, costs, outcomes) that make underwriting smoother.