SECR filing deadlines in 2026 — the dates to plan around

Unlike some reporting regimes, SECR has no single national deadline. Your SECR disclosure forms part of your directors' report, which is filed with your annual accounts — so your SECR deadline is your accounts filing deadline. This post sets out the 2026 anchor dates and a sensible timeline to work back from.

The two anchor dates

Two common financial year-ends drive most filings:

Year-end	Company type	Accounts (and SECR) due
31 December 2025	Private	30 September 2026
31 March 2026	Private	31 December 2026

Public companies file earlier — generally 6 months after the year-end rather than 9. Always confirm your own deadline on the Companies House record rather than assuming the standard period, as first-year and shortened accounting periods change it.

You can confirm your exact date with our SECR deadline calculator.

Why "the deadline" is the wrong thing to plan around

The filing date is the last possible moment, not the target. Working back from it:

1. Data collection (allow 4–6 weeks): a full year of electricity, gas, fuel and fleet data, plus any F-gas top-ups.
2. Calculation (1–2 weeks): convert to tCO2e using the correct DEFRA factor vintage; compute the intensity ratio.
3. Narrative drafting (1 week): energy-efficiency actions taken in the year, methodology, prior-year comparison.
4. Review and sign-off (1–2 weeks): auditor questions and director approval.

That is roughly two months of elapsed time even when the data is in good order — start well before the deadline.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating SECR as a year-end afterthought rather than a year-round data exercise.
• Forgetting that a shortened or extended accounting period moves the deadline.
• Leaving no buffer for auditor review.

For the full rules on who must file, see who needs to comply with SECR.

Need help hitting your deadline? Book a 15-minute call or see the SECR reporting service — £3,500 fixed fee, 21-day audit-ready guarantee.