Landlords with older electric heating systems are being warned that EPC reform could expose weak points that current ratings do not always punish as heavily, particularly in flats still relying on outdated storage heaters.
The warning follows the government’s plan to move Energy Performance Certificates toward the Home Energy Model, which is expected to put more weight on how efficiently a home is heated rather than leaning so heavily on running-cost assumptions.
For landlords, that could change where upgrade money needs to go. Insulation and glazing still matter, but a property with dated electric heating could face a tougher reassessment later in the decade if the system itself drags the score down.
Why older heating systems may become a bigger EPC risk
Electric Radiators Direct said many landlords may be overlooking heating performance while focusing on fabric upgrades such as insulation and windows. The company warned that older storage heaters in particular may struggle under a system that gives more attention to controllability and actual efficiency.
That matters most in electrically heated flats, where landlords often assume a passable EPC can be protected through piecemeal work. If future assessments give more credit to modern, controllable systems and less to outdated units with poor timing and limited response, some properties could look weaker at renewal than they do today.
The government’s wider reform agenda already points in that direction. Landlord Knowledge has previously reported that EPC reform has been pushed back to late 2027, giving landlords more time but not removing the risk.
Delay does not remove the upgrade pressure
The warning also lands in the middle of a wider argument over how much support landlords will get before EPC C becomes the target for most rental stock. Ministers have insisted the direction of travel is fair, but the market still lacks final detail on costs, funding and how the new model will change individual property scores.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s April report showing that 55 percent of homes were still below the likely EPC C target. The latest warning adds a practical point to that debate: even where landlords have already spent on visible upgrades, the heating system itself may still be the weak link.
That does not mean every landlord should rip out working systems now. But it does suggest that investors with electric-only property should review what they have before the next assessment cycle, especially if the home still depends on old-style storage heaters with limited controls.
Some landlords will decide to wait for firmer rules. Others may prefer to spread the cost by replacing systems earlier, while installation lead times and contractor demand remain less pressured than they could be closer to the deadline. Either way, the delay to the new model should not be mistaken for a reason to ignore the issue.
Landlords can keep track of the policy direction through the government’s wider EPC and energy-efficiency reform agenda, but the commercial point is already clear enough. Heating performance is likely to matter more, not less, in the next round of EPC reform.
What this means for landlords
- If you own electrically heated flats: check whether older storage heaters could become the weak point at the next EPC review.
- Watch for: final Home Energy Model detail and how much weight it gives to controllability and system efficiency.
- Bottom line: fabric upgrades alone may not protect a marginal EPC if the heating system is dated.
Editor’s view
The useful part of this warning is not the sales angle. It is the reminder that EPC reform may reshuffle what counts most. Landlords who only think in terms of loft insulation and new windows could end up missing the upgrade that actually moves the score.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 16 June 2026
Sources: Electric Radiators Direct, UK Government
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