Government urged to stop ‘dithering’ over EPC deadline for landlords

Government urged to stop ‘dithering’ over EPC deadline for landlords

0:03 AM, 27th July 2023, About A year ago 9

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The Property Energy Professionals Association (PEPA) has expressed its ‘disappointment’ with the comments made by Housing Secretary Michael Gove over the proposed deadline of implementing an EPC deadline on the private rented sector (PRS).

Mr Gove said the Government is ‘asking too much too quickly’ of landlords to comply with Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) by a proposed date of 2028.

However, PEPA says it is ‘puzzled’ because, since the 2021 consultation, there has been no Government announcement of an implementation date for EPC standards.

And they aren’t sure what the Government ‘is asking’ of landlords – and on what grounds acting ‘too quickly’ is based.

Lack of clarity has left landlords up in the air

PEPA chair Andrew Parkin said: “Aside from the imperative of improving the energy performance of all properties in the UK to achieve Government Net Zero targets, the hiatus caused by the lack of clarity on the implementation date of a minimum EPC rating of ‘C’ has left landlords up in the air in terms of when, and to what extent, to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.

“Similarly, energy assessors, retrofit advisors, energy efficiency measure installers and manufacturers are unable to plan for the future, which is adversely affecting their businesses.”

He added: “If, as Michael Gove suggests, further implementation of MEES is held up, this will impede current improvement work, reduce business confidence to invest in products and skills necessary for the green economy, and undermine the credibility of future Government announcements about MEES.”

Improve the energy efficiency of the PRS

PEPA, which represents energy professionals in the property sector, says the apparent dithering is not helping to improve the energy efficiency of the PRS.

The delay also doesn’t help deal with the issue of fuel poverty and high energy prices, the organisation adds.

PEPA also says that Michael Gove acknowledges that ‘landlords face so much’ at the present – but much of what they face is as a ‘result of other Government policies, many of which emanate from DLUHC, Michael Gove’s own department’.

The organisation also echoes what the National Residential Landlords Association has said in that it is up to the Government to provide a ‘fair financial package for landlords’ to improve property energy efficiency.


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NewYorkie

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10:37 AM, 27th July 2023, About A year ago

The first step the government must do is ensure consistency in EPC surveys and results, and then ensure there are 'professionals' available to do the work at a competitive price.

I've just put my home on the market, and when I bought it 3.5 years ago, the EPC was D. I've since refurbished and extended, with a new heating system and radiators, a ridiculous amount of insulation [roof, walls, underfloor subject to Building Regs], new electrics with LEDs throughout, NEST smart thermostat, part double glazing [kept my original Edwardian windows]. My new EPC is... D!

2 of the first 3 viewings resulted in offers at and above guide price.

It simply proves the EPC doesn't make much difference if the buyer is motivated.

He won't replace the lovely windows with double glazing [I've recently used magnetic secondary glazing], and won't install a nonsense heat pump. So, I guess the EPC will stay at D.

Net Zero isn't until 2050 🤣 Gove has got time!

GlanACC

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19:01 PM, 28th July 2023, About A year ago

I cant see the point of a heat pump as you have to replace radiators, redecorate and other ancillary costs. You can now get electric boilers that can just replace the gas one and easily fit in with the current central heating system. ... and they are hotter than heat pumps.

Phil Roberts

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10:18 AM, 31st July 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 28/07/2023 - 19:01
A heat pump will cost around 30% of what an electric boiler would cost to run, unless you are using something like night storage on a split rate tariff or a Tepeo boiler which is a similar night tariff based system

NewYorkie

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10:29 AM, 31st July 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Phil Roberts at 31/07/2023 - 10:18
What's the point of installing something which doesn't do the job, just because the running costs are lower than electric?

Just stick with gas. Install a new boiler just before the deadline. It will last 10 years, by which time the climate catastrophisers will have run out of steam, and we will probably be able to use Hydrogen.

With a 'heat' pump, to stay warm in Winter, you'd need to sit in your sitting room wearing your skiing jacket and gloves, or run an electric space heater!

Jonny Grant

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11:23 AM, 1st August 2023, About A year ago

In 2005 I built a pair of semi-detached bungalows, under building Regs etc. Both identical, same materials in both, same boilers. I kept them both as rental properties. A couple of years ago I decided to sell them. One has an EPC rating of C and the other D. I looked at the surveyors EPC report and they are word for word, line for line the same, yet different rating??? They were also done by the same surveyor. I contacted him about this but he refuses to discuss it with me. Go figure!!!

NewYorkie

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12:30 PM, 1st August 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Jonny Grant at 01/08/2023 - 11:23
Ridiculous! They need to get the consistency sorted before changing the Regs!

Reluctant Landlord

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16:59 PM, 1st August 2023, About A year ago

Is it just me?

Are the 'recommendations' in an EPC supposed to be read as cumulative, or can you use them to pick and mix?

I have an EPC where the first recommendation states internal or ext insulation to get to a (66 points D) then Floor insulation (67 points D), then low energy bulbs (69 D), then TRV's and thermostat (73C).

To me I thought I could pick bulbs (2 points moving from 67 to 69) then pick TRV's and thermostat (4 points from 69 to 73).

Is this right or wrong as the original assessor who did the current EPC (2016) says I need to do all the recommendations in the order stated to achieve the best possible rating, and that picking them out of 'sync' wont guarantee the points raised as per report even if that's what each individual recommendation states!

Surely a low energy lighting score increase of 2 points is not dependent on having £19k of work done first???

GlanACC

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21:38 PM, 1st August 2023, About A year ago

My energy assessor told me that they needed to be done in order. Certainly won't happen in my properties. I will not be spending £14,000+ to save the tenant £340 a year

NewYorkie

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9:40 AM, 2nd August 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 01/08/2023 - 21:38
This highlights the lack of practical thinking by whoever invented this nonsense. Probably an idealistic child straight from university!

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