Government defends EPC standards claiming they help landlords and tenants

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Government defends EPC standards claiming they help landlords and tenants

The government claims energy performance certificate (EPC) standards are “proportional” to landlords and tenants.

In a written question, Plaid Cymru MP Llinos Medi, asked whether the government would consider the impact of proposed changes to the landlord cost cap and exemptions for Welsh private renters

The news comes as the government announced all private landlords in England and Wales will need to meet EPC C targets by 2030.

Manage the burden placed on landlords

Plaid Cymru MP Llinos Medi asked: “To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of lowering the landlord cost cap and introducing low property value exemptions for minimum energy efficiency standards on private renters in Wales.”

In response, Martin McCluskey, minister for energy consumers, claimed the government’s energy-efficiency standards were fair to landlords and tenants.

He said: “The government’s response to the consultation on increasing the minimum energy efficiency standard for private rented homes was accompanied by the Department’s Impact Assessment. The assessment provides an estimated impact of the final policy based on a range of data available, including HM Land Registry and property price data available for Wales.

“The measures included in the final policy are intended to be proportional to help manage the burden placed on landlords and the impact on the rental market, whilst still delivering improved, warmer, cheaper to heat homes for private rented sector tenants.”

Under government plans, landlords will be able to choose between the smart or heat metrics, and the cap on the amount they are expected to invest to meet the new standards will be reduced from £15,000 to £10,000.

The cost cap will be lower where £10,000 would represent 10% or more of a property’s value.

Any spending on energy-efficiency works carried out since October last year will also count towards the planned cap, and the government will deliver a range of finance options, including Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grants.

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