Industry body the Sustainable Energy Association is calling for MPs, Lords and the government to support the Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill when it is introduced in both Houses this week.
The Bill, which would mean all private rented sector homes would need to be EPC band C by 2028, advances the government’s energy efficiency commitments set out in the Energy White Paper and aims to help achieve net zero and lower household fuel bills.
Jade Lewis (pictured), association chief executive, says it hopes the Bill receives the support it deserves.
“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,” she says.
“We are 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.”
Many in the PRS have voiced concerns that the deadline puts too much pressure on landlords, particularly following Covid, and could threaten already strained stock levels.
Last November, we reported that the Lettings Industry Council had written to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, urging a more staggered approach to improving energy standards in the private rented sector than those put forward by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) measure the efficiency of a home, rated from A – G; two-thirds of UK homes fall below the average band C.
Read more about the controversy surrounding EPC Band C ratings.
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