EPC bands explained
EPC Rating F: What It Means and What You Can Do About It
Band F is the second-lowest EPC rating. It is below the legal minimum for a privately rented home in England and Wales, but it is usually only a few points from band E.
- SAP score
- 21 to 38 out of 100
- Share of rated homes
- 2.8%
- Letting a home rated F
- Not without a registered exemption (minimum is E)
- Next band up
- E, from 39 points
Step 1 of 3
Is your home rated F? Check the register
Enter your postcode to see the property's current rating, its expiry date and the recommendations on its certificate.
What an EPC rating of F means
An EPC rating of F means the property scored between 21 and 38 out of 100 on the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) scale. Running costs are high for the floor area, and the certificate will list several improvements the assessor judged worthwhile.
| Band | SAP score | What it means |
|---|---|---|
A | 92–100 | |
B | 81–91 | |
C | 69–80 | Proposed minimum for private rentals from 1 October 2030 |
D | 55–68 | |
E | 39–54 | Current legal minimum to let a home |
F | 21–38 | This page |
G | 1–20 |
What assessors typically find in a band F home
- Solid or uninsulated walls, often in homes built before 1930
- Little or no loft insulation, or a room-in-roof with none
- An old non-condensing boiler, or electric room heaters and an immersion tank
- Single glazing, or early double glazing with no draught-proofing
- Few or no heating controls such as a programmer, room thermostat or radiator valves
These are the features that usually produce an F rating, not a description of any one home. The certificate itself lists what the assessor recorded and the improvements they judged worthwhile.
How many homes are rated F?
2.8% of the 19.7 million rated properties in EPC Advisor's register dataset are band F, which is 560,070 homes across England and Wales. 3.7% of homes are rated F or G, the two bands below the legal minimum for a private tenancy.
Shares are calculated from the most recent certificate held for each property in the dataset, not every home in England and Wales. Statistics updated June 2026.
Can you let, sell or remortgage a band F home?
Letting: not without an exemption
In England and Wales the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) makes band E the lowest rating a privately rented home can have. An F-rated property can only be let if the landlord has registered a valid exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register. The main routes are having spent the £3,500 cost cap (including VAT) without reaching E, being unable to get a tenant's, lender's or freeholder's consent, or evidence that the work would devalue the property. Local authorities enforce the rule, with fines currently up to £5,000 per property.
The government confirmed in January 2026 its intention to raise the minimum to band C for private tenancies from 1 October 2030, with a £10,000 per-property cost cap and fines of up to £30,000. That remains policy intention until legislation passes. See EPC rules for landlords 2025 to 2030 for the full picture.
Selling: allowed, with a valid certificate
There is no minimum rating for a sale. You need a valid EPC before the home is marketed, and an F rating will be visible on the listing. Buyers may use it to negotiate, and some lenders ask about the rating when valuing a property, but it does not stop a sale. If the certificate is more than ten years old you will need a new one; the lookup above shows the expiry date.
Living in it: no requirement, but a cost
Owner-occupiers face no legal requirement to improve an F-rated home. The cost is in the bills: the rating is a measure of how much energy the home needs per square metre, so the gap between F and the average band D shows up every winter.
Where band F homes are concentrated
The share of F-rated homes varies far more between areas than most people expect. In 29 of the 346 local authorities with at least 5,000 rated homes, the share is 5.7% or more, at least double the national figure.
| Local authority | Band F | Homes |
|---|---|---|
| Gwynedd | 13% | 5,049 |
| Ceredigion | 11% | 2,678 |
| Isle of Anglesey | 11% | 2,652 |
| Powys | 9.3% | 4,075 |
| West Devon | 8.9% | 1,748 |
| Cornwall | 8.4% | 17,670 |
| Carmarthenshire | 7.8% | 4,702 |
| South Hams | 7.6% | 2,668 |
| Torridge | 7.5% | 1,922 |
| Pembrokeshire | 7.3% | 3,128 |
Highest share of band F among authorities with at least 5,000 rated properties. Each area page shows the full band distribution and the districts within it. Browse every area.
What F-rated certificates say
Across 311,423 band F certificates lodged in the last ten years, the average score is 31.1 out of 100. Assessors recorded a potential rating of E or better for 98% of them, and C or better for 76%.
The most common main heating fuel is electricity, on 38% of certificates. That is why the recommendations below lean on insulation and generation rather than a boiler swap: many of these homes have no gas boiler to replace.
Most common recommendations on band F certificates
| Recommendation | Share of certificates |
|---|---|
| Solar photovoltaic panels, 2.5 kWp | 80% |
| Solar water heating | 73% |
| Floor insulation (solid floor) | 59% |
| 50 mm internal or external wall insulation | 57% |
| Low energy lighting for all fixed outlets | 50% |
| Floor insulation (suspended floor) | 35% |
| Cavity wall insulation | 31% |
| Replace boiler with new condensing boiler | 29% |
Property types
- House69%
- Flat15%
- Bungalow14%
- Maisonette1.9%
- Park home0.8%
Main heating fuel
- Electricity38%
- Mains gas23%
- Oil20%
- LPG6.1%
- Dual fuel (coal and wood)2.5%
Computed from the register snapshot of 31 May 2026. Certificates older than ten years are excluded because they have expired.
The cheapest route from F to E
Band E starts at 39 points, so the number of points a home needs is that threshold minus its current score. The certificate shows the score; the measures below are listed in ascending cost, with the point gains assessors typically record for them.
| Measure | Typical cost | Typical gain |
|---|---|---|
| Hot water cylinder jacket | £18–£30 | 1–3 points |
| LED lighting throughout | £20–£120 | 1–3 points |
| Draught-proofing windows and doors | £10–£250 | 1–3 points |
| Heating controls (programmer, thermostat, radiator valves) | £100–£400 | 3–8 points |
| Loft insulation to 270mm | £750–£900 | 5–15 points |
| Cavity wall insulation (where suitable) | £1,000–£2,700 | 5–15 points |
Homes within a few points of band E can cross the line for under £500. A moderate gap usually costs £500 to £1,500, a larger one £1,500 to £3,500. Hard-to-treat homes with solid walls or old electric heating can run to £4,000 or more.
The step-by-step version, with upgrade plans for different house types, is in How to improve an EPC from F to E. EPCs do not update themselves: after the work, a new assessment is needed to record the new rating.
Grants that target band F homes
The least efficient homes are the ones funded schemes are designed for. The three that matter for insulation and heating right now:
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Up to £7,500 off an air-source heat pump (or biomass). Open to most homeowners — not means-tested.
- Warm Homes: Local Grant
Council-delivered funding for insulation and low-carbon heating, aimed at lower-income households.
- ECO4
Energy-supplier funded insulation and heating upgrades for households on qualifying benefits. Runs until 31 December 2026.
Eligibility depends on the household and the council, not the rating alone. All current schemes.
Related guides
Band F questions
Band F is a SAP score of 21 to 38 out of 100. It is the second-lowest of the seven EPC bands and means the home loses heat quickly or heats inefficiently, so it costs more to run than a similar home rated E or above.
Not in England and Wales without a registered exemption. The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard requires privately rented homes to reach band E. Landlords must improve the property to E, or register a valid exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register, before letting it. Local authorities can fine landlords for non-compliance, currently up to £5,000 per property.
Yes. There is no minimum rating for selling a home. You need a valid EPC before marketing it, and an F rating may affect what buyers offer, but it does not stop a sale.
Often under £500 when the home is only a few points short of band E, because low-energy lighting, draught-proofing, a cylinder jacket and heating controls can be enough. A larger gap typically costs £500 to £3,500, mainly on loft and wall insulation.
Only if it is privately rented. The government confirmed in January 2026 its intention to require EPC C for private tenancies from 1 October 2030, with a £10,000 per-property cost cap. That is policy intention, not yet law; legislation is expected to follow. Owner-occupiers face no such requirement.
Enter the postcode in the lookup on this page and choose the address. It reads the current certificate from the official register and shows the rating, the expiry date and the recommendations the assessor recorded.