EPC D to C for Landlords — Guaranteed C Rating or Pay Nothing | Thermova

“Thermova’s EPC C compliance service has been a practical solution for a number of our landlord clients. The process is straightforward, the no-result-no-charge model is an easy conversation to have with portfolio owners, and the results speak for themselves.”

Harris & Co Estates · Fleetwood’s award-winning estate agent since 1995

EPC C Compliance Service

Guaranteed EPC C Rating.
Or pay nothing at all.

The measured route from EPC D to C for rental properties — no building work, no tenant disruption. Fylde Coast based, testing across Lancashire and the North West. If we do not achieve a C rating, there is no charge.

£500 flat fee per property · No VAT · No charge if we don't achieve a C
Check Your Certificate

How to improve an EPC from D to C — often without building work.

The rules are confirmed: every private rented home in England and Wales needs EPC C by 1 October 2030, and landlords are expected to spend up to £10,000 per property to get there. Most assume that means new boilers, wall insulation, heat pumps.

Before you spend any of it, open your current EPC and look for the word "assumed". Every time it appears, the assessor didn't measure — the methodology forced the worst plausible default for anything that couldn't be physically verified. Your property is scored as if the performance you can't see doesn't exist.

In many cases, those assumptions are wrong — and they're costing you a band.

£10,000
The per-property cost cap landlords are expected to spend to reach EPC C by 2030. The measured route, where your property qualifies: £500 flat.
D63 to D68
The SAP band where a verified air permeability test typically unlocks a C rating without physical works.
Zero Risk
No result, no charge. If we do not achieve a C, there is no fee.
How It Works

One test. One certificate. One corrected EPC.

Under RdSAP 10 (active since 15 June 2025), a verified air permeability result can replace the default assumed figure used by the national EPC methodology. For well-maintained older properties, that single change is often enough to shift the rating from D to C.

1

Pulse Air Permeability Test

Carried out by an ATTMA Level 1 accredited operator — the same Pulse air testing we run for new-build developers. Non-invasive, takes a few hours, can be done while the property is occupied.

2

Formal Certificate Issued

The verified test result is documented and passed to a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor as evidence for the new assessment.

3

Corrected EPC Lodged

The DEA inputs the verified figure into RdSAP 10 and lodges a new EPC on the national register. The C band rating is then locked in.

Why the Window Matters

The rules are about to tighten. A C rating achieved now is locked in.

The government's new Home Energy Model (HEM) is set to replace RdSAP for existing homes in the second half of 2027. Under HEM, assumed values will no longer be permitted. Every element of a property's performance will need to be physically evidenced.

Landlords who secure a C rated EPC under the current methodology keep it. The certificate remains valid for its full term. Those who delay will face a far more stringent and expensive route to compliance. For the full policy picture, read our EPC C by 2030 guide for Lancashire landlords.

Compliance Timeline
Now
RdSAP 10 in force. Verified air permeability testing permitted as evidence.
H2 2027
HEM replaces RdSAP for existing homes. Defaults scrapped. Full physical evidence required.
Oct 2030
All private rented properties must hold an EPC rated C or above.
Waiting It Out?

Waiting for a repeal is a bet — and the stake is £10,000 a property.

Plenty of landlords are sitting tight, hoping an election makes the 2030 rules disappear. Whatever you think of the politics, look at the odds — and the stake — before you join them.

1

The machinery is already moving

The government confirmed the 2030 standard in its January 2026 consultation response. EPC reform is scheduled for 2027, assessors are being retrained and the supply chain is being funded now. Unwinding regulation already in delivery takes years — even for a government that wants to.

2

It's a cost-of-living policy, not a green one

The stated aim is to stop tenants overpaying to heat cold, leaky homes. Cutting renters' energy bills polls well with every party's voters. Policies framed around the cost of living do not get repealed cheaply.

3

The downside is asymmetric

Act now and the worst case is £500 — charged only if your C is delivered. Wait and lose the bet, and you're competing with thousands of landlords for compliance work at 2029 prices, under a £10,000 cost cap, with penalties for letting without a C.

Act now

Lock in a C under the easier methodology

Cost£500 flat — invoiced only when your C is lodged
MethodologyRdSAP 10: a measured air test replaces the assumed default
ResultA C on the national register, valid for ten years
If rules softenYou still hold a certificate that supports value, lettability and mortgage terms
Wait and gamble

Hope the rules vanish before October 2030

CostUp to £10,000 per property under the cost cap, at end-of-decade prices
MethodologyHEM from 2027: assumed values scrapped, every element physically evidenced
ResultFrom October 2030, no C means the property cannot legally be let without an exemption
If rules softenYou saved £500. If they don't, you're at the back of a very long queue
Why Thermova

Combined technical expertise under one roof.

We are happy to work through your portfolio property by property, identify the ones that qualify, and deliver the test, the certificate and the lodged EPC end to end. You deal with one point of contact, not four. Planning wider upgrades across your stock? See our landlord portfolio service.

ATTMA Level 1 Accredited Certified to carry out air permeability testing under the current accreditation framework.
Domestic Energy Assessor Partner Qualified DEA on hand to input verified results and lodge corrected EPCs on the national register.
Pulse Test Equipment Own access to Pulse testing kit. No waiting for third-party availability, no subcontracting delays.
Portfolio Screening We review existing EPC data before attending to identify properties where the test is likely to deliver a C band outcome.
Four questions to ask any "no C, no fee" provider
01
Is it a genuine no-invoice guarantee? Or a "refundable" booking deposit you have to claim back? With Thermova, no invoice exists unless your C is lodged.
02
Is the fee published up front? Ours is: £500 per property, no VAT — not a price revealed only after an "assessment".
03
Who actually carries out the test? We are ATTMA Level 1 accredited and run our own Pulse equipment. Nothing is subcontracted.
04
Are they close enough to come back? We're based on the Fylde Coast and test across Lancashire and the North West — attending, retesting and standing behind the certificate is a short drive, not a promise.
🛡

No result. No charge.

If we do not achieve a C band EPC rating on any given property, there is no charge whatsoever. Not a reduced charge. Not a refundable deposit you have to claim back. No invoice exists unless your C is on the register. The risk sits entirely with us.

£500 per property · No VAT.
Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know before you call.

How much does it cost?
£500 per property. Payable only if we achieve a C band rating. If the test does not lift the property into C, there is no charge.
What happens if you don't achieve a C?
You pay nothing. No call-out fee, no reduced charge, nothing. The commercial risk sits entirely with us, which is why we screen properties before attending to make sure they are strong candidates.
Is this a loophole, or one of those "dodgy EPC" outfits?
No — and it's the right question to ask. RdSAP 10 is the government's own assessment methodology, and it explicitly permits a verified air permeability test to replace the assumed default. Our operators are ATTMA Level 1 accredited, the result is lodged by a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor, and everything is auditable on the national register. What's actually questionable is a certificate scored on worst-case guesses because the original assessor wasn't equipped to measure. We replace guesswork with evidence — the opposite of a fiddle.
My EPC was done recently. How can it be wrong?
Recency isn't the issue — methodology is. A standard EPC visit is visual: anywhere the assessor can't verify an element, the software applies the worst plausible default, marked "assumed" on your certificate. Air permeability testing needs separate accreditation and equipment that standard assessors don't carry. Check your certificate: every "assumed" entry is a place your property may be scoring below its real performance.
How is your guarantee different from other "no C, no fee" offers?
Read the small print elsewhere and "no fee" often means a refunded booking deposit after you've already paid one, with the real price quoted only after an assessment. Our fee is published on this page — £500 per property, no VAT — and no invoice is raised unless your C-rated EPC is lodged on the register. No deposit, no assessment fee, no charge on failure.
How do I know if my property qualifies?
The strongest candidates currently sit between D63 and D68 on their existing EPC. Send us a list of addresses and we will check the register, identify the properties where a verified air test is most likely to deliver a C, and only quote on those.
How long does the test take?
Around two to three hours on site. The property can be occupied throughout and the tenant does not need to leave.
Will the tenant be disturbed?
No. The Pulse test is low pressure and non-invasive. There is no drilling, no residue, and no change to the fabric of the property.
How long until the new EPC is issued?
Usually within five to ten working days of the test. The verified air permeability result is passed to a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor who carries out a fresh RdSAP 10 assessment and lodges it on the national register.
Is the new EPC legally valid?
Yes. RdSAP 10 became the mandatory methodology for existing dwelling assessments on 15 June 2025 and specifically permits a verified air permeability test result to replace the default assumed figure. The new EPC is lodged on the national register in exactly the same way as any other.
How is this different from just commissioning a new EPC?
A standard EPC uses the worst-case assumed air permeability for the age of the property. We replace that assumption with a measured figure. Where the building is tighter than the default — which it usually is on well-maintained older properties — the SAP score increases and the rating improves.
Why not just wait for HEM?
HEM replaces RdSAP for existing homes in the second half of 2027. Under HEM, assumed values are no longer permitted and every element must be physically evidenced to a higher standard. A C rating achieved now under RdSAP 10 remains valid for its full ten-year term, locking compliance in under the easier methodology.
Does it work on flats?
In most cases, yes. The test is carried out on a single flat as a standalone dwelling and the same principle applies: replacing the assumed figure with a measured one.
What if the property has no current EPC?
Not a problem. We carry out the air permeability test and arrange for a fresh RdSAP 10 EPC to be issued from scratch with the verified result built in.
Do you work with social housing providers?
Yes. The same RdSAP 10 methodology applies to social housing stock and the 2030 minimum EPC C standard is expected to apply to both tenures. We work through any portfolio, private or social, on the same terms.
Won't the 2030 rules just be scrapped?
It's possible — but weigh the bet. The consultation response is published, EPC reform is in delivery for 2027, and the policy is framed around cutting tenants' bills, which polls well across parties. Acting now costs £500, only if it works, and buys a ten-year certificate. Waiting could mean up to £10,000 per property at end-of-decade prices. The full argument is set out further up this page.
What if the air test alone can't get my property to a C?
We tell you before any money changes hands. Our pre-screening flags properties where the measured route is unlikely to close the gap. Where that's the case, we'll point you at the most economical alternative — often the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which we also manage end to end, sequenced sensibly through our landlord portfolio service.
I'll just sell before 2030. Isn't that easier?
Run the numbers first. Selling means agent fees, legal fees, possible capital gains tax and void months — and if many landlords sell at once, you're selling a D-rated property into a crowded market. A C on the register strengthens both the letting and the sale position. It's worth £500 — payable only if we deliver it — to find out before you decide.
Don't Take Our Word For It

Every claim on this page traces back to a published source.

The documents worth reading
GOV.UK
Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes — government response. Confirms the EPC C standard, the 1 October 2030 date and the £10,000 per-property cost cap.
GOV.UK
MEES landlord guidance. The existing legal framework the 2030 uplift builds on.
GOV.UK
Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime. The reformed EPCs and Home Energy Model scheduled to replace RdSAP in 2027.
Ofgem
Boiler Upgrade Scheme rules. Eligibility and grant administration detail.
Register
Find your property's EPC. Open your certificate now and count the word "assumed".
ATTMA
Air Tightness Testing & Measurement Association. The accreditation framework our operators test under. How the Pulse test works.
Local
EPC C service pages for Blackpool, Preston and Lancashire.
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