More than 30 organisations including the UK Green Building Council issued a joint statement on 3 April urging government to set a minimum energy efficiency standard for private rented homes.
The statement, supported by organisations including ACE, Energy Saving Trust, Friends of the Earth and WWF, says that regulations must be introduced without delay to allow landlords as much time as possible to improve their properties ahead of the standard coming into force. It was expected that regulations would be laid in Parliament in late 2013 or early 2014 but a public consultation is still yet to be published.
The statement also says that the minimum standard must be clearly specified as being EPC Band E and exemptions to the regulations (such as listed buildings) must be kept to an absolute minimum.
Of the 22.8m households in England in 2011, 4 million were privately rented (17.5%) – an increase of 1.6 million in only six years – and the highest level since the early 1990s. The private rented sector has the highest proportion (11%) of the most energy inefficient homes (those in EPC Bands F and G).
John Alker, director of policy and communications at UK-GBC, said:
“A minimum energy efficiency standard is not only crucial for upgrading the UK’s poorly performing privately rented homes, but would also give a much needed boost to the flagging Green Deal. Government is long overdue in setting out this standard, creating uncertainty for both landlords and tenants.”