Landlords need to know the true energy efficiency of their property and have a deadline for improvements to calm fears around the cost of staying within the law, an energy chief claims.
Elmhurst Energy, an accreditation scheme for energy assessors, says fast-tracking the government’s proposed EPC revamp is a ‘must’ to support the private rented sector.
It is also urging confirmation of whether all rented homes in England and Wales will be required to meet a target of EPC band C by 2028 or earlier, under Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards regulations – an issue under consultation since 2021 on which news is not expected until 2024.
Landlords are already well advanced in their readiness for any higher standards; the most recent poll suggests about 80 per cent of landlords have already completed energy efficiency works in response, and over 60 per cent of properties held within their portfolios are already rated C or above.
“Private landlords are understandably concerned about the property improvement-related regulatory changes coming their way, but most of these fears are not based on fact” says Stuart Fairlie, Elmhurst’s managing director.
“Many landlords will be more prepared than they think. To calm concerns, we need absolute clarity on the deadline for making energy efficiency improvements to EPC band C, clarity at a policy level on how our housing stock reaches carbon net zero, and clarity on the level of monetary support landlords will receive for making energy efficiency improvements.”
Fairlie adds: “To support landlords in making their properties more energy efficient for tenants, we must first have a true picture of their current energy performance – something we don’t have at the moment. It is vital we revamp the EPC to support landlords in making the right improvements to meet EPC band C.”
Elmhurst wants EPCs to go much further than simply measuring the cost of energy required to heat and run a property. It claims that instead, an improved EPC would show energy cost, as well as the property’s energy use and carbon emissions to deliver a more accurate energy efficiency picture.
This would advise the right measures for improving a property’s energy efficiency for the long-term and enable landlords to plan their investments. It might mean relatively inexpensive installations such as loft or cavity wall insulation and would also deliver confidence in their choice of low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps.
“Against a backdrop of rising fuel poverty, environmental pressures and energy security concerns, EPCs are coming in for a lot of scrutiny and criticism” says Fairlie.
“This is understandable, as the EPC as it exists now is over 15 years old. It was designed then simply as a cost metric, showing how expensive or cheap a home is to run. But scrapping EPCs altogether would be a hugely backwards step, leaving us with no benchmark to work from to work towards carbon net zero housing stock.
“The new EPC must include the right data – the three Cs of energy cost, energy consumption and carbon emissions. The cost measure would support tackling fuel poverty and home running costs by showing recommendations to reduce energy bills, the energy consumption measure would illustrate how to reduce energy use, and the carbon emissions figure would support policy decisions on reducing carbon emissions to reach net zero.”
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EPCs are another British success story and the envy of the world. 21 million domestic EPCs and 1 million commercial EPCs all on a transparent public database that worked on day one in 2008 and still works brilliantly today. MEES has driven massive improvement in the nations rental stock. The most expensive to heat homes in the UK - Grade F and G were all outlawed way back in 2018. Lofts have now been insulated with 2 layers of Rockwool, cavities insulated, lower running cost central heating installed, LED lights installed all thanks to the simple and accurate EPCs that cost a landlord £65 to obtain once every 10 years.
What a load of tripe you speak as normal Martin - who pays you to write this codswallop?? The current EPC system assessments are completely inaccurate. They were only meant to provide a very rough guide of property energy performance- they are now being used as a stick to beat landlords with!!
If this really is to get the country to ‘Nett Zero’ why are EPC’s required for all domestic property?
Be quiet Jonny 5 ..!
Oh Martin…. You were doing so well a couple of weeks ago, you had some likes and everything 🤔 you have let yourself and others down 😂, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and put it down to forgetting to take your meds 🏥🏥🫤 … come back on board 👍🏻
Don't tell them they might have to spend a modicum of money or actually do something for their rental income martin, they don't like that.
Imagine putting so much effort into arguing against providing energy efficient homes with affordable energy costs for your tenants. If only they put so much effort into actually doing things.
Another British disaster more like Martin as rental stock decreases and rents climb higher to cover the cost of all this BS
Martin. Rubbish I had EPC “C” for 10 years then on renewal reduced to “D” with this waste of time digital accessor from University child like man.
He wouldn’t accept the Cavity Wall was done even though they was counted last time, so I should think so too having been done with Polly Beads pumped Insulation by Government Scheme where is their record of that if their System is so great and CIGA with all their records haven’t it either.
I doubt if we are the envy of the world for all the hassle it has caused me, maybe laughing at us what we do is not going to save the Planet.
Exactly the same happened to me. Previous EPC acknowledged the presence of cavity wall insulation. The next EPC wouldn’t . I told them ‘where to get off’ and sold the property and it went to an owner occupier. Poor result for rental sector, poor result for the nation.
We don’t just need the new algorithm for landlords to check what they need to do …. But to make a decision based on that when they need to sell 💰💰👍🏻👍🏻
What is the aim of the EPC? To measure how well the property is insulated? To measure the cost of the energy used? To measure how 'green' the energy used is? What form of heating gets you the highest rating gas, electric? Do you take into account how the electricity is generated?
We need better guidance on what we should be aiming for. Until we know this it's not much point in doing anything.
The EPC is useless. Maybe it was useful as a rough guide in the past, but to use it as the basis for calulations upon which your future as a landlord is determined, by an operative that has passed a 2 day training course and who has no prior knowlwdge of the energy industry, heating and cooling loads/calculations on a building and the thermodynamics of various construction materials. They just make predetermind calculatios from a generic database which is likely to be totally inaccurate for your properties characteristics. What a joke.
A perfect critique of where we are right now 🫤
Do you want rising homelessness or EPC grade C before 2028. I think roofs over heads trumps EPC C for the time being!
The fact is the PRS has made great progress with many of the nations older housing stock and will continue to do so on a retro fit basis. Pushing EPC C is a step too far at this point in time and risks loosing more desperately needed rental housing stock
There is no universal method or logic to the current EPC measurements. There are totally differing standards. We can all understand about insulation the roof or loft, internal walls and cavity walls, if possible and an efficient boiler and LED lighting. Even this is not sometimes sufficient to get to proper C, a high "D". Yet another property with a little less work done can b a "C". This is very much a subjective assessment, who you get to do it. A "C" does not mean they will have lower bills. I have had tenants who never heated the house from September to December and had dampness caused by wet clothes and shoes. There are 3 bathrooms with electric showers so never had the gas on and blamed it on EPC "C" measurement being incorrect. I spent on insulating the roof, the walls, new boiler etc to get to that stage. However, this is not possible for all properties, even with the same work carried out. It is total mess. Politicians have no clue on energy efficiency and wish to dictate. They need some policies in educating the tenants as well. "Right to Rent" do not give full information and also the tenants do not read them. The politicians are gradually passing all their responsibilities towards social housing and tenants problems to the landlord rather than subsidising the energy costs to benefit the tenants. They wish to take so much money from the landlords at every brainstorm exercise they can hit against the LL. The government and rogue tenants have caused massive problems in the PRS and will continue unless LL retaliate by speaking out in public demonstrations.
As to Martin Gibbons - he need to do his homework before spitting here. At the end of the day, the energy bills will depend on the usage by the tenants and at the same time understand heating is necessary whatever EPC, even a "B", otherwise the dampness and mould is prevalent. Making the LL, the culprit at every angle is not going to solve anything. Even for Big companies getting into BTL market. They are not magicians.
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