What it actually takes to move a Solihull rental from D or E to band C — the measures, the likely costs, and how the answer changes by property type.
Band C is 69 to 80 SAP points. Most rental stock sits in band D, between 55 and 68. Closing that gap is usually 10 to 25 points, and how you get them depends almost entirely on what the property is built of.
| Band | SAP score | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A | 92–100 | Excellent — very low energy bills |
| B | 81–91 | Very good — efficient modern home |
| C | 69–80 | Good — the target for landlords by 2030 |
| D | 55–68 | Average — most homes in Solihull sit here |
| E | 39–54 | Below par — current legal minimum to let |
| F–G | 1–38 | Poor — cannot usually be let without works |
If the property has an unfilled cavity
This is the best case, and it covers a great deal of Solihull — the inter-war semis through Shirley, Olton, Lode Heath, Castle Bromwich and Marston Green. Cavity wall insulation plus a loft top-up to 270mm frequently delivers the whole jump on its own, at a cost that is small relative to any other route. Verify first whether the cavity was already filled under an earlier scheme; the assessor needs evidence either way.
If the heating is electric
Common in flats and maisonettes across the north of the borough. Electric panel heating and old storage heaters score badly, and no amount of fabric work compensates. Moving to a modern controlled system — or, where that is not possible, to high-heat-retention storage heaters with proper controls — is usually the decisive measure. Model this before spending on anything else.
If the walls are solid
The hard case: period property in Knowle, Dorridge, Berkswell, Meriden, Barston, Hampton-in-Arden and Hockley Heath. There is no cavity to fill, so the cheap route does not exist. Work through loft, draught-proofing, controls and lighting first, and treat solid-wall insulation as a considered decision rather than a default — it is expensive, and in a conservation area external application may not be permitted at all. This is also where the cost-cap exemption most often becomes genuinely relevant.
If the property is already modern
Monkspath, Dickens Heath, Cheswick Green and the newer parts of Balsall Common are often a high D that needs only small measures: a full control set, 100% low-energy lighting, cylinder insulation. Do not over-engineer this — a few hundred pounds sometimes does it.
The measures ranked by cost per point
- Low-energy lighting throughout
- Loft insulation to 270mm
- A full heating-control set
- Cavity wall insulation, where a cavity exists
- Hot-water cylinder and pipework insulation
- Condensing boiler replacement, if the existing unit is old
- Floor insulation
- Solid-wall insulation
Get it modelled first
Our MEES consultancy runs these options against your actual property and returns them in cost-per-point order. Book a current domestic EPC to establish the baseline.
Looking for your own area? We have local EPC guides for Shirley, Olton, Knowle, Dorridge, Solihull town centre, Chelmsley Wood, Castle Bromwich, Balsall Common and every other Solihull area.