Landlords should focus on simple and affordable upgrades to their properties rather than expensive upgrades such as ground source heat pumps, a leading consultancy has claimed in its new report.
Kamma, which has launched a new website to highlight this called Property Zero, says landlords and homeowners should tackle smaller improvements first.
This includes installing modern temperature controls, hot water cylinder insulation, draught-proofing and low energy lighting.
Kamma’s new analysis of the nation’s EPC registers, calibrated to real emissions data from UK energy companies, reveals that if landlords spend on average £255 upgrading their homes now this would save tenants £53 a year in fuel bills or £74 if the energy price cap increases by 40%, as expected.
This would also reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by 674,000 tonnes every year.
“Government targets are to make all homes band C where practical, cost-effective and affordable and yet, so far, the sector has not focussed enough on the most practical, cost-effective or affordable improvements,” says CEO Orla Shields (pictured).
“Insulation, decarbonising the national grid and heat pumps are all vital steps in the fight against climate change, but there are cheaper, simpler first steps that a large number of landlords can take.
“EPC data is freely available through various registers, but is often out of date and contains a number of inaccuracies which make it hard to base government policy, business strategy or homeowner decisions on.”
Read more about EPC compliance.
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