A £2 million fund has been launched by the Government aimed at helping local authorities enforce energy performance certificate (EPC) requirements for privately rented homes.
The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations SI 2015/962 require privately rented domestic properties to have a minimum EPC rating of E. Landlords who own a property which has an EPC rating of F or G, must make improvements to the property to ensure it is of a minimum of EPC rating E, or have registered an exemption, in order for them to continue to lease the property or enter into a new lease agreement. If a landlord has a substandard property which is currently empty and they aren't planning to let out they do not need to improve it until they decide they wish to let it again.
Local authorities will now be able to bid for up to £100,000 of the fund to help them enforce these regulations. This money can be used to help increase the number of inspections and make it easier for tenants to report offending landlords.
Where landlords have failed to comply with their legal obligations and make energy efficiency improvements to their properties including addition of loft insulation, double glazing and cavity wall insulation, they can be fined up to £5,000 per property and per breach.
It is hoped that additional enforcement resources will help them to protect vulnerable tenants who are living in non-compliant properties. Substandard properties often leave vulnerable tenants with unfairly high energy bills, and it is estimated that energy efficiency improvements to substandard properties could help tenants save an average of £180 annually on energy bills.
Climate Change Minister Lord Callanan said: "Heating our homes makes up almost a third of all carbon emissions. This must be reduced so we can tackle climate change and drive forward Britain's green industrial revolution. Our £2m fund will help in the fight against climate change and support councils to properly enforce these standards to upgrade homes, protect vulnerable households and ensure renters enjoy cheaper energy bills."
