MEES: The Minimum Standards That Bite
The EPC E floor for lettings, the June 2026 shift to EPC B by 2031 for larger buildings, exemptions, enforcement and what a prudent landlord does now.
11 min read · Jacob Willis, Net Zero Lead · Last reviewed July 2026
Most energy regulation asks companies to report; MEES tells landlords they may not let the building at all. The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards are the sharpest instrument in UK buildings policy because they attach energy performance directly to the thing a landlord cannot do without: rental income. Since April 2023 it has been unlawful to continue letting a non-domestic property in England and Wales below EPC band E, and in June 2026 the government confirmed where the floor goes next. This lesson covers what applies now, what was just announced, and what a prudent landlord does about a regulation whose trajectory matters more than its current level.