A Bill is being introduced into both Houses of Parliament this week which will ramp up the pressure on the private rented sector to become even more energy efficient.
The Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill is described by its supporters as being vital for the achievement of net zero - a buzzword term which means that the amount of carbon dioxide added by the country is no more than the amount taken away as a result of significant reductions in emissions.
Backers of the Bill say it will help the government see that all private rental homes are EPC band C or below by 2028, and that all homes - including owner occupied ones - should be EPC band C by 2035. In addition mortgage lenders should ensure an EPC band C average for their portfolios by 2030.
Leading for the Bill in the House of Lords, Lord Foster says: “I have been campaigning on this Bill for over two years: it puts in place government policy, so I call upon ministers to support it and give time for it to receive a 2nd Reading in the House of Lords. This is essential for the achievement of net zero targets.”
And leading in the House of Commons, Sir David Amess adds: “This Bill will help my constituents to have lower fuel bills and it will help the government to achieve its net zero targets. I hope Ministers will support it.”
The measure is backed by the Sustainable Energy Association and its chief executive, Jade Lewis, comments: “We are incredibly hopeful that the Minimum Energy Performance Bill will receive the support it rightfully deserves so that it can deliver a lasting impact on the energy efficiency of homes up and down the country whilst addressing key public interest concerns such as unemployment, fuel poverty and climate change.
“The SEA is proud to have campaigned for this policy certainty over the past few years and I believe that we are closer than ever to the breakthrough we have been working towards.”
Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.
.jpg)
.png)
Join the conversation
Jump to latest comment and add your reply
Here we go , part of the grand plan …
It’s so obvious what they’re up to it’s almost laughable if it wasn’t so terrifying
How on Earth can most properties built in the last century and before etc , which is most of the uk stock , ever meet these utterly ludicrous targets ?
Answer is … they can’t …
The most worrying bit is this ..
that all homes - including owner occupied ones - should be EPC band C by 2035.
So basically if your house doesn’t meet the epc levels you can’t live in it ..
Oh dear
Yep 👍 = more homelessness if people can’t live in own homes-including owner occupiers.
🤔Wonder if Jade Lewis & team are providing non repayable funding to all-including owner occupiers of ‘older’ below EPC band C properties for improving the buildings for net zero, and funding will continue from now till 2040.
Or is this another tactics to help govt & banks penalise hard working home owners, extract more money from honest taxpayers, and councils issuing compulsory occupation orders for properties below EPC band C?
Net zero policy is definitely isn’t related to people’s health and safety-more to do with the Political agenda, and another attack, control of British govt., our laws & policies by United Nations/foreign govts.
Best wishes to the future generations, whom our govt & opposition, all MP’s, lawmakers want to live as controlled/enslaved by outsiders policies/laws-despite the majority having already voted for a sovereign, independent, self governing U.K. Parliament to protect British people first.
No signs of British people, hard working home owners, or honest LL’s protection as yet, but may be the future generations will correct this, waiting to see that day without holding my breath😅
1. 'This bill will help my constituents have lower fuel bills' - but watch their rent sky rocket as LL leave the PRS & those that stay put their rents up to cover the costs. If you want to lower fuel bills take the green subsidies off electricity bills (the only green fuel) - that will reduce bills by 40%. And since most electrically heated properties are lived in by tenants &/or low income families this will help those that need it most.
2. Sort out the EPC assessment so that gas boilers (due to be phased out by 3035) aren't the only way to get a C; electricity is recognised for its green credentials and improvements are feasible and cost effective.
3. How can you possible force owner occupiers to achieve a C? Most don't even know what an EPC is!
This measure will single handedly decimate the PRS - personally I will be selling 7 of 11 properties that cannot make the grade. Where will these tenants go?
I have just had a block of 100 flats externally insulated with 110mm rockwool at a cost of over half a million. They are now so warm that the tenants complain that they are too hot. Some of the EPC's have actually become worse, one went from D to E. The government has changed the way in which EPC's are scored, moving the goal posts, almost changing the game. Landlords cannot win.
There was a report out this week that said modern houses will need to be retrofitted with cooling systems soon because they are too warm! Older houses were built to naturally cope with our climate - older properties are much cooler in this current heatwave than modern boxes. Yes it costs to heat them in winter but they can be made hotter when the weather is cold but stay cool when it is warm. Your tenants are discovering the problems caused once everything is insulated and air tight. Could insulating become the next cladding crisis with it all being ripped off?
I also have properties that have 'lost' 8 points in 10 years. How can the Govt expect us to hit their targets when they keep moving them?
This bill will be introduced, LLs will leave the PRS and the Govt will be left scratching their heads wondering what to do about the housing crisis.
Watch soylent green , that’s where we are headed , it’s only set one year ahead in 2022…
So they think private landlords EPC’s will save the World even though allegedly UK is only 1% of the problem. We won’t mention India or China probably the worst contributor opening Coal Power Stations every week. The best a LL can do Is leave empty the penalty is less than if you Rent it.
What about the new space travel program for the very rich from Branson & Besos? What do you think the carbon emissions from that are? Or the new oil drilling platform off Shetland?
I am not interested in wasting fortunes on Space travel like someone paid $20m for an 18 year old to go up, super nonsense & millions of people starving, just stay on the ground there are plenty of rocks down here.
👍👏 I agree.
For the life of me I can't understand what all the fuss is about landlords not being able to improve the energy efficiency (and therefore the EPC) of their investment buildings. I, like thousands of other professional landlords, realised this when EPCs were introduced way back in 2008. It not like the Government has sprung it on us!
Over the years I've been spending some of my annual rental income on improving loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. I've used external wall insulation on one of my properties - the EPC up-lift for me and energy cost saving for the tenant have been extremely good.
I've recently installed Dimplex Quantum night storage heaters in a rental flat. I've helped my tenant sign-up to an off-peak electricity tariff, which is a fraction of the cost of expensive 'day time' electricity'. Night storage heaters have come on massively since the 1980s and retain the heat all day whilst the tenant is out at work. It's a pile of bricks in a steel box and is ideal for rental homes where the tenant can be less than careful.
A domestic EPC is an energy COST calculation, the worse the Grade the more my tenant has to pay to the NPower, British Gas (and indirectly the Qatari Royal Family and Vladimir Putin) and the less money they have to pay my rent. It makes good financial sense to drive down the money my tenants have to pay in energy costs. Don't landlords on this Blog understand this? Every single resi landlord mate of mine in the Thames Valley has either fixed-up their houses and flats to EPC Grade C or long since sold their 'difficult' assets and reinvested the capital in energy efficient homes (which can indeed be both older or modern buildings)
For me and other professional landlords this simply is not an issue and not a problem. Relaxing Planning regulations so I and others can build a few more houses and flats for renters would be a far better issue for us all to campaign on. Domestic EPCs and MEES is NOT what rational landlords worry about.
Please login to comment