Action could come too late, NRLA warns  

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) and Energy Saving Trust have called for a clear roadmap for energy efficiency reform to enable landlords to better prepare. If not investment could come too late, straining resources and risking deadline preparation, they warn. The two parties have published a briefing setting out how the UK Government’s ambitions can be delivered successfully within the tight timeframe it has set.

It follows a parliamentary roundtable chaired by Clive Betts MP, the former long-standing Housing Select Committee chair, which brought together representatives from the NRLA, the Energy Saving Trust, and ten other organisations working across housing, consumer protection, energy efficiency, finance and local government.

Although the participants welcomed the clearer direction provided by the UK Government’s Warm Homes Plan and the revised approach to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) in the private rented sector, they said much remains to be done in the four years until the deadline for change.

A clear idea of all reforms

The briefing says that a clear plan is needed to set out how MEES will complement other reforms to Energy Performance Certificates, property exemptions, enforcement and financial support. Without it, landlords could delay investment – creating additional pressure on installers, supply chains and enforcement bodies closer to the deadline.

But a clear roadmap wasn’t its only demand. It said the changes will require greater installer and skills capacity, practical and accessible finance for landlords, clear and trusted advice from the planned Warm Homes Agency, stronger enforcement and consumer protection and clearer tenant engagement and protection.

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “Landlords want to provide homes that are warmer, cheaper to heat and fit for the future. Whilst the changes announced by the Government earlier this year have made the proposed framework more workable, the focus now needs to be on making sure it can actually be delivered.

“2030 may sound some way off, but upgrading homes on the scale now needed requires landlords, installers, lenders, local authorities and tenants to start preparing now.

Stew Horne, group head of sector intelligence and external affairs at the Energy Saving Trust, said: “New energy efficiency standards for the private rented sector are an important step towards upgrading privately rented homes to make them warmer and more efficient for renters.

“To ensure successful delivery of these standards, it is essential that the right support is in place for both landlords and tenants. Access to green finance products, such as low-cost loans, will support landlords to invest in their properties, alongside tailored, in-depth advice to help them navigate the requirements and identify suitable measures. Tenants should also have access to the guidance and support they need to operate low-carbon technologies once installed.”