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As part of the management service provided by our sister company Ready to Rent management, we help ensure that the tenancy is managed in accordance with regulations and that the required certification is kept up to date. This includes complying with the government’s ‘Minimum Level of Energy Efficiency’ standard which, for all domestic private rented property is currently EPC band E.
An EPC is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and measures the energy efficiency of a property on a scale of A-G, with 'A' being the most efficient. They were introduced in 2007 and are a legal requirement for a building to be sold, let or constructed. Once obtained, an EPC is valid for 10 years.
The certificate gives information on the energy efficiency of the property along with recommendations on ways to improve the property’s energy efficiency with a view to achieving a better result after improvements are made to help save money and help the environment.
The average property in the UK is in bands D-E and since April 2018 the minimum Energy Efficiency Standards introduced by the government has made it a legal requirement for all privately owned properties to have an EPC rating of at least an E before they are sold or let, and since April 2020 it now applies to all existing tenancies not just the new ones.
In 2021, as part of the government’s current drive to make homes more energy-efficient and reduce carbon emissions, to help achieve their target to be net-zero by 2050, the The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero proposed that all rental properties will need an EPC rating of ‘C’ or above by 2025. Similar to the previous changes, the new regulations were planned to be introduced for new tenancies first, followed by all tenancies from 2028.
Despite a consultation that started in 2020, the current Prime Minister has now (Sept 2023) scrapped all dealines, for improving EPC ratings so Lanlords no longer need to worry about being fined if their proeprty is not to a certain EPC rating by a certain date. However we all understand how important it is for all properties to be as energy efficient as possible so as part of ReadyLet s refurbishment process we ensure the properties have the following-
We also engage with all the local initiatives available relating to the thermal enveloping that are being rolled out in the area which covers everything from loft insulation to external wall cladding (shown on the properties in the picture below). We are also in contact with EPC experts to advise on the best way for properties to achieve the EPC C rating if they are not doing so already. This means that we are confident that our properties will achieve the required EPC ratings when ever there are needed in the future.
To find out more about the warm home scheme & Inititives in County Durham please see the following links.
The majority of our tenants are on a low income and on universal credit, so we encourage the tenants to take advantage of any benefits available to them from the council and Green Deal Companies and also encourage tenants to use LED light bulbs. We are currently looking into fitting pendant light fittings that will only allow installation of energy efficient light bulbs.
We are keeping on top of current government guidance regarding Heat pumps as they are a hot topic (excuse the pun!) but we are not currently considering moving to heat pumps as the government are still quite a way away from making the move to heat pumps mandatory, and they are comparatively very expensive options at present. It is our understanding that no-one will be forced to remove their existing fossil fuel boilers, with this transition of the next 14 years seeing the UK’s households gradually move away from fossil fuel boilers in an affordable, practical and fair way, enabling homeowners to easily make these green choices when the time comes to replace their old boiler. Given the lifetime of a natural gas boiler is around 15 years, in order to reach Net Zero in a cost-effective consumer-friendly way, the government aims to phase out the installation of new natural gas boilers beyond 2035. They also aim to set a clear ambition for industry to reduce the costs of installing a heat pump by at least 25-50% by 2025 and to ensure heat pumps are no more expensive to buy and run than gas boilers by 2030 by which point they may naturally become the obvious, affordable choice.
Source - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plan-to-drive-down-the-cost-of-clean-heat & https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/heat-and-buildings-strategy
If you wish to discuss EPCs or Heat pumps in more detail, please contact us on 01483 663001.