# EPC rating C: what it means and is it good? (2026)

> Band C means 69 to 80 points: the median in England and the planned 2030 target for rentals. How many homes reach it, what it costs to run, how to keep it.

- Canonical URL: https://epccalculator.com/epc-rating-c/
- Source: [ONS, Energy efficiency of housing in England and Wales: 2025](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/energyefficiencyofhousinginenglandandwales/2025)
- Checked: 2026-10-26
- Structured data: https://epccalculator.com/data/epc-rating-c.json

This page includes a free interactive tool that runs in the browser and sends no data. The figures and rules it uses are the ones stated on this page, with their sources.

## Band C in one table

| Point | Band C |
|---|---|
| Score range | 69 to 80 points |
| Next band up | B from 81 |
| Next band down | D at 68 or less |
| Median home in England | 69, exactly the bottom of C ([ONS](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/energyefficiencyofhousinginenglandandwales/2025)) |
| Median home in Wales | 68, one point short of C ([ONS](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/energyefficiencyofhousinginenglandandwales/2025)) |
| Homes in England at A, B or C, 2024 | 56% ([EHS 2024-25](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/697a0f35005d288bf850deb2/2024-25_EHS_Headline_Report_on_Housing_Quality_and_Energy_Efficiency.pdf)) |

## Is C good?

For an existing home, yes: it is better than the typical home in Wales and level with the median in England. The ONS figures cover certificates lodged in the ten years to March 2025. In the same release, flats and maisonettes had a median of 74, and homes built after 2012 a median of 84, which is band B ([ONS](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/energyefficiencyofhousinginenglandandwales/2025)). A house built after 2012 that rates C is therefore below the typical new home.

## Why C is the band people talk about

- **Rentals.** Today the legal minimum to let is E. Band C by 1 October 2030 for private rentals in England and Wales is confirmed government policy, not yet law: the government response of 21 January 2026 fixed the date and the £10,000 cap, and regulations are still to come ([GOV.UK response](https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-the-energy-performance-of-privately-rented-homes-2025-update/outcome/improving-the-energy-performance-of-privately-rented-homes-government-response-html)). The GOV.UK landlord guidance still calls it an aim ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-private-rented-property-minimum-energy-efficiency-standard-landlord-guidance)). Our [2030 page](https://epccalculator.com/epc-c-by-2030-landlords/) has the details.
- **Cost of getting there.** The English Housing Survey puts the average cost of lifting a home to C at £6,002 from D, £12,430 from E and £17,354 from F or G ([EHS 2024-25](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/697a0f35005d288bf850deb2/2024-25_EHS_Headline_Report_on_Housing_Quality_and_Energy_Efficiency.pdf)). Being at C already saves that bill.

## Running costs at C

The survey's modelled energy cost for homes in bands A to C was £1,081 a year in 2022, against £1,561 for band D and £2,662 for band G ([EHS 2022-23](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2022-to-2023-energy/english-housing-survey-2022-to-2023-energy-report)). These are modelled with standard heating patterns, not real bills. More in [running costs by band](https://epccalculator.com/epc-running-costs-by-band/).

## Low C or high C?

A score of 69 or 70 sits on the edge. A new assessment, a change in the method, or the planned new EPC metrics (now expected in the second half of 2027) could put it on the other side of the line ([Housing Today](https://www.housingtoday.co.uk/news/government-delays-epc-reforms-until-2027/5141221.article)). If you are a landlord at 69 or 70, a cheap measure from your certificate's list buys a margin. Try the [cheapest route](https://epccalculator.com/how-to-improve-an-epc-rating/) with your own figures.

## Moving from C to B

For the step to B (81 points), your certificate's recommendation list shows the expected rating after each step. Use it rather than a general rule. There is no legal requirement for owners or landlords to reach B.

Enter your score in the calculator above to see your band and the points to the next one.

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