Barclays says landlords responding to its latest survey put the typical cost of meeting proposed minimum energy-efficiency standards at about £9,000 per property, even as half of the bank’s mainly landlord real-estate customers said they had improved an EPC rating in the previous three years.
The findings are part of the bank’s new Closing the Energy Efficiency Gap policy snapshot, released as Ofgem’s energy price cap rises. Barclays says 38 percent of its real-estate customers expect at least some difficulty in meeting proposed changes to the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard.
Landlords considering a retrofit therefore face a more immediate budgeting question than the headline polling on household energy bills suggests. The Government’s proposed target is for privately rented homes to reach EPC C by 2030 where it is practical and cost-effective, while the detail of the final standard, exemptions and cost cap still matters to the scope of work required.
Small steps dominate household action
Barclays found 56 percent of UK adults think energy-efficiency upgrades are becoming essential because of high utility costs, and 75 percent said they had taken some action in the past year. But the most common measures were turning off unused lights or appliances, cited by 47 percent, and reducing heating use, cited by 41 percent.
Larger installations were much less common. Eleven percent of homeowners said they had installed, or planned to install, rooftop solar panels in the next 12 months, while eight percent gave the same answer for heat pumps. That gap matters because an EPC improvement can require changes to the fabric or heating system rather than lower day-to-day consumption.
The bank’s landlord sample was small. It surveyed 93 UK real-estate customers between 23 February and 17 March, with most respondents landlords, and says the unweighted results are indicative. That is a useful limitation when weighing the £9,000 estimate against the condition, size and starting EPC of an individual rental.
Renters have less control over upgrades
Nearly two thirds of renters – 63 percent – told Barclays that energy upgrades are becoming essential. Yet 29 percent had taken no action in the past year, compared with 23 percent of homeowners. Tenants generally cannot decide whether to replace a boiler, improve insulation or install low-carbon heating, leaving the capital decision with the property owner.
Jatin Patel, head of mortgages, savings and insurance at Barclays, said willingness alone would not deliver the scale of change needed. “Larger improvements can involve significant cost, disruption and difficult decisions, while renters may have little control over the fabric of their homes,” he said.
Barclays is asking ministers to align incentives for households, landlords and businesses, improve access to finance for higher-cost work, give clearer guidance and support installer capacity. Its consumer polling was commissioned from Opinium across three surveys of nationally representative samples of 2,000 adults between March and June.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on the NRLA’s priorities for the 2030 rental-energy roadmap, which argued that policy clarity and workable finance will shape whether landlords can complete upgrades at scale. Landlords can also check the current rules and proposed direction in Landlord Knowledge’s EPC standards and regulations guide.
The bank’s energy-efficiency policy snapshot is a timely reminder that a proposed rule and a completed improvement are not the same thing. A portfolio plan needs property-level evidence before owners commit to a cost figure or a measure.
What this means for landlords
- If you’re planning upgrades: start with current EPCs and a property-by-property assessment rather than applying one cost estimate across a portfolio.
- Watch for: the final detail of any revised minimum standard, including the cost cap, exemptions and implementation timetable.
- Bottom line: Barclays’ indicative £9,000 figure is a budget prompt, not a universal compliance price.
Editor’s view
Landlords need clarity before they can spend with confidence. The useful part of this release is not the poll headline but the warning that minor energy-saving habits will not substitute for property-level investment where a higher EPC rating is required.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 02 October 2026
Sources: Barclays Closing the Energy Efficiency Gap policy snapshot, Barclays consumer, real-estate customer and housebuilding research
Related reading: NRLA sets five priorities for 2030 rental energy roadmap
🏠 EPC Rules for Landlords: What You Need to Know
Minimum EPC C required by 2030 – new assessment rules from late 2027
