Earlier this month, the government introduced the new Minimum Energy Efficiency of Buildings Bill, raising the standards at which homeowners will need to improve their building’s energy performance. With homes in the rental sector being particularly affected by this new bill, we thought it’d be helpful to outline what it could mean for you.

 

The new bill states that all PRS (Private Rented Sector) homes must be EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) band C by 2028. This means that any homes that currently fall into EPC bands D-G must make sufficient improvements by 2028.

There are however exemptions made for those who are most likely to struggle to make the minimum requirement, including those who are below band E and those who “have run out of viable upgrades”. If you fall below band E, you only need to invest a maximum of £3,500 – regardless of not making band C by 2028. Similarly, if your home is unable to make any further viable upgrades that would significantly improve energy efficiency, you will also be exempt from the new minimum requirement.

 

The Green Homes Grant Replacement

 

The original Green Homes Grant that was launched last year ended up failing to help the majority of homeowners, with only £71m of £1.5bn budget being spent. However, there are now talks that the government may bring back a replacement scheme that will once again help homeowners to improve their building’s efficiency more effectively.

Although there are currently no specifics, it’s likely that this new scheme will be announced at the next spending review. We will keep you updated on any news regarding the new scheme, as well as what energy efficiency changes might need to be made before 2028.

 

If you have any questions regarding this news or any other related issues, please feel free to get in touch with us.