Landlords forced to install energy efficiency measures before renting out homes

As of 2019, properties with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G – the lowest two energy efficiency ratings – must be made warmer by landlords before they can be put on the rental market for new tenants, the amended Government regulations released by Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry stipulate.

Improvement works are expected to cost around £1,200 on average and affect 290,000 properties, which represent around 6% of the overall domestic market.

Since April this year, landlords who own the coldest privately rented homes have been required to improve these properties with energy efficiency measures where support is available to cover the costs.

The new measures go further, requiring around 200,000 landlords to contribute to the cost of the upgrades. The government said analysis has shown the cost to the landlord would be more than offset by the increase in property value following the upgrades.

However, if upgrades cost more than £3,500, landlords will be able to register for an exemption.

Ms Perry added: “While the vast majority of landlords take great pride in the properties they own, a minority still rent out housing that is difficult to keep warm. Upgrading these homes so they are more energy efficient is one of the most effective ways to tackle fuel poverty and help bring down bills for their tenants, saving them £180 a year.

“Everyone should be protected against the cold in their own home and today’s announcement will bring this reality closer.”

HeatingSave – the easy to retrofit Building Management System (BMS) that can help landlords and tenants save energy and money

The HeatingSave Building Energy Management System helps customers save more than 30% on their bills by optimizing any heating system’s overall functionality. This is done by taking into account a variety of factors, such as internal and external temperatures, occupancy, time of the year, the particular characteristics of installed boilers, etc.

All of the data is used in order to determine the best heating patterns for the various heating zones within any building, using our proprietary heat-loss algorithm.

HeatingSave is also approved to work and save fuel within the Energy Technology List, which is managed by the Carbon Trust on behalf of the Government. It is also approved by the Department of Energy & Climate Change and the Energy Savings Trust and was specified by the Building Research Establishment for the energy efficient homes retro-fit program, called The Greenhouse Project.

Last, but certainly not least, it’s important to mention that HeatingSave is a component part of the Government’s Green Deal program.

If you’d like to find out more about HeatingSave’s accreditations, just visit the dedicated section on our website, and for any other information, just get in touch with our dedicated product team.