Landlords and energy performance certificates (EPC)

Landlords and energy performance certificates (EPC)

Residential landlords throughout Hampshire could face crippling fines, if they fall short of new Government legislation to improve the energy efficiency of UK housing

Andover home improvement specialist KJM Group has warned that landlords have just one year to bring the energy efficiency of their rental properties up to scratch, or face penalty fines of up to £4000.

This follows the introduction of new minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES).

Made law in March 2015, from 1 April 2018 it will be illegal for a private landlord to let a property with an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating lower than E to a new tenant. MEES will also apply to all existing tenancies from 01 April 2020.

Mark Pearce, Managing Director, KJM Group, said MEES represented a ‘ticking time bomb’ for residential landlords.

He said: “UK home energy ‘inefficiency’ is a real problem. A lot of us still live in older pre-war and immediately post-war properties, which are incredibly bad at leaking energy. This includes the residential rental sector.

“Having signed up to international commitments to reduce carbon emissions, the Government faces mounting pressure to address the energy efficiency of UK housing stock.  MEES, introduced alongside the Green Deal, are a step towards this target.

“While improving the energy efficiency of our housing stock and cutting CO₂ emissions are very much a positive, with fines running into the thousands of pounds for failing to comply, MEES nonetheless, represent a ticking time bomb for landlords.”  

Applying to all privately rented property in scope of the regulations, including sublets, the only MEES exemptions are where any property is let on a tenancy for six months or less or on a tenancy for 99 years or more.

There are also exemptions for those properties already excluded from existing Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) obligations, for example Listed buildings.

Windows account for around 25 per cent of the total energy lost from UK residential properties (Energy Saving Trust) with new energy efficient double and triple-glazed windows delivering significantly improved performance over and above single or even older double-glazed units.

Serving Hampshire and surrounding counties including Wiltshire, Dorset, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex, KJM Group supplies hundreds of energy efficient wooden and PVC-U windows and doors each year. These achieve top u-values and very highest Window Energy Ratings (WERS), including WER A⁺⁺.

“With just 12-months to go, it’s really important that landlords start taking steps to improve the energy efficiency of their properties now and energy efficient windows and doors can be a big part of that. They’ll also improve security and the re-sale value of properties”, says Mark.

“If that isn’t enough to persuade you, then a civil penalty of up to £4,000 should be.”  

For more information on our range of energy efficient windows and doors call or email the sales team on 01264 359355 or [email protected].