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Categories: epc | government and politics
Ed Miliband has confirmed that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) are considering offering financial support to landlords in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) to hit EPC targets.
This is in response to widespread calls for the Labour government to provide more incentives for landlords to reach the new targets, which dictate that all PRS properties need to reach at least grade ‘C’ by 2030, unless they are exempt.
Many experts within the sector have criticised the targets as over-ambitious. Many PRS properties throughout the UK have very old infrastructure and would require costly renovations in order to meet a C-grade in an EPC assessment.
There’s also the matter of tenant satisfaction. Although the universal C-grade target may appear to be about increasing tenants’ quality of life, it does not account for tenants who are already perfectly content in their homes and would rather not have their lives disturbed by refurbishment works they never asked for.
Currently, private landlords are not allowed to let out a property that has been graded below ‘E’. The distance between an ‘E’ and a ‘C’ can vary from property to property.
Some landlords may not have as much difficulty in raising their EPC grade to an acceptable level, but the point stands that many in the sector are finding themselves in a tricky spot and would appreciate more support.
Propertymark approached Ed Miliband for answers
Propertymark, a leading membership organisation for UK estate agents, has written to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband about this issue. The organisation’s policy and campaigns officer, Tim Thomas said:
Clarity from the UK government on new energy efficiency targets is vitally important and there must be sufficient financial and practical support to help landlords meet the legislation and contribute towards Net Zero targets 2050.
Without this support, and an understanding of the diverse nature of property, targets are unlikely to be achieved.
As the clock continues to tick down to 2030, the sector also requires urgent clarity on exemptions, including the level of a cost-cap exemption, and if the government intends to introduce interim milestone targets.
The response from Labour confirmed that the party were considering help with reaching EPC targets for private landlords.
A clear list of exemptions would be a helpful compromise for private landlords letting out hard-to-insulate period properties.
Labour intend to invest in areas related to home energy efficiency, including the Warm Homes Plan, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the Great British Insulation Scheme. These schemes all contribute to the government’s overall aim of bringing the UK to Net Zero by 2050.
