Government outlines plans to raise home energy standards

Private and social rented homes are set to be required to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030 in a series of Government measures to improve home energy standards.

The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero said these would help lift more than a million households out of fuel poverty.

There will be a consultation by the end of the year on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards for private and social rented homes by 2030.

Private rented homes can at present be rented out if they meet only Energy Performance Certificate E, while there is no minimum energy efficiency standard for social rented homes.  

Adam Hug, Local Government Association housing spokesperson, said: “Councils are committed to addressing the challenges of unfit housing and want their residents to have the security of a safe and well-maintained home with any issues quickly and satisfactorily addressed.

“While we look forward to seeing the detail behind this announcement, councils need further funding and support to raise standards in the private rented sector. 

“Councils could also do much more if they were given the right tools, such as removing the requirement for Secretary of State approval for larger selective licensing schemes.”

Mark Elliott, president of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said: “This announcement is welcome but needs to be accompanied by the provision of resources for local government to enforce the relevant legislation effectively.”

Elliott said poorly heated homes exacerbated illness and increased NHS costs by some £540m a year according to an analysis of English Housing Survey data by the Building Research Establishment.

Rachael Williamson, head of policy and external affairs at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “CIH has long called for the introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards in the rented sectors, especially in the private rented sector, where residents are too often exposed to unaffordable energy bills.

“We look forward to responding to the consultation, and working with our members to ensure the proposals provide a strong regulatory framework for eliminating fuel poverty.”

The government has also announced a Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, which replaces the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, to support social housing providers and tenants. 

A new Warm Homes: Local Grant will help low-income homeowners and private tenants with energy performance upgrades and cleaner heating. It has issued Guidance for Local Authorities on the new Warm Homes: Local Grant, which replaces the Local Authority Delivery Scheme, and expressions of interest will be invited in October.

There is also Guidance for Wave 3 of the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, which opens for applications in the week of  30 September and Guidance for Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which continues and will be delivered by Salix Finance.

Williamson said: “It is hugely welcome that government have confirmed the continuation of these retrofit schemes.”

Mark Smulian