More U.K. Landlords Must Improve Energy Efficiency

Published on November 07, 2018

Since April, landlords in England and Wales have been required to upgrade their home’s efficiency to a minimum of band E in the U.K.’s efficiency rating scheme, the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), or else they will be unable to sign new tenancy agreements.

Previously, the U.K.Government had proposed that landlords who were looking at costs of more than £2,500 in order to improve their home’s EPC rating would be exempt. However, the new exemption cap is set to be lifted to £3,500, as the government saw that too many households were exempt at the previous limit.

Campaigners in support of the new proposal have extended their concerns that a £3,500 limit is still too low, and that many tenants will still have to pay large utility bills to heat their home.

Approximately 290 000 landlords will be expected to upgrade their homes efficiency under this proposal.

Max Wakefield, lead campaigner at 10:10 Climate Action, has said that the new limit will only help an additional 5,000 homes according to the U.K. Government’s impact assessment regarding the proposal.

“Those in the very worst homes will still be left in the cold,” said Wakefield.

By government estimates, the average landlord affected will be paying about £1,200 for efficiency upgrades, netting an average utility savings of £180 a year for tenants.

If the first proposed cap of £5,000 was enforced, 40 000 more households would have been affected.

The new cap is expected to come into action at some point during 2019.

How Home Efficiency is Improved

Improving home efficiency can be done in a number of different ways - from sealing air leaks with caulk to installing a smart thermostat - but it all begins with a Home Energy Assessment from a Registered Energy Advisor.

A Home Energy Assessment arms the advisor with efficiency information specific to the home they are testing. This allows them to present the homeowner with an informed list of energy saving solutions for them to consider, as well as provide them with an evaluation of how effective each solution would be.

With a Registered Energy Advisor present, the homeowner gains valuable information and experience that can be applied towards improving their home’s efficiency, making it more comfortable, environmentally friendly, and at a lower utility cost.

For homeowners (and landlords) in Ontario, Barrier Sciences Group is proud to provide services such as Home Energy Assessments and Air Tightness Tests, and our Registered Energy Advisors are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your home’s efficiency, or what energy saving solutions would be the most cost-effective for you to utilize.

There are also a number of home renovation rebates currently available from Union Gas - making it even easier for you to see a return on your home efficiency investments. Our advisors are able to help you qualify for these rebates, and help you make sense of which rebates are the best for you to aim towards.