It said the EPC regime was required for a sustainable future and wanted reforms to support people in understanding and managing the energy performance of their properties, while aiming to reach net zero goals.
The joint consultation is being led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and supported by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
It said the EPC would remain an important tool in delivering the government’s Warm Homes Plan and setting standards for homes in the private rental sector (PRS).
Any proposed changes to the EPC metrics will be introduced in the second half of 2026.
The government said it wanted EPCs to be more useful and understandable for everyone and recommended multiple metrics to “provide a more complete representation of building energy performance”.
Your Mortgage Awards 2024/25: winners revealed
Sponsored by Your Mortgage Awards
Separate EPC metrics
It said a single headline metric was “proving to be insufficient” in meeting the needs of users and policy objectives.
The government has proposed the inclusion of separate metrics for energy cost, carbon, energy use, fabric performance, heating system and smart readiness.
Fabric performance would relate to the thermal properties of a building and its ability to maintain a different temperature from its surroundings through insulation, window quality and the quality of construction.
It said the fabric performance, heating system, smart readiness and energy cost could be used as headline metrics for domestic EPCs, with the others acting as secondary information.
It said that, together, the metrics would allow people to distinguish where a home performs more or less well.
For non-domestic EPCs, the government has suggested using the carbon metric as a single headline metric.
As priorities change over time, the government said EPC metrics may need changing in the future to potentially expand beyond measuring a property’s energy efficiency and include other aspects of its performance.
For example, this might include an occupant’s health, wellbeing, biodiversity and water efficiency.
The government said: “The EPC reform consultation offers an exciting opportunity to engage meaningfully with our stakeholders, whose insights will help shape the path forward for the EPB regime.
“We look forward to working with partners across various sectors to ensure these reforms deliver maximum impact.”
