RICS slams Rishi’s U-turn on EPC minimum standards

If Rishi Sunak was hoping his U-turn on EPC minimum standards would go down well in the august corridors of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) then he may be in for a disappointment.

After ruminating for almost a week, the surveyors’ regulation body has slammed Sunak’s change of mind, noting that it is not surprised given the housing industry has been calling for several years for clarity on dates and additional support.

“But it also says in an uncharacteristically blunt statement issued last night that the “ongoing indecision about this and related matters does not fill the built environment sector with confidence.

Alternative solution

“RICS looks forward to the government providing an alternative solution to improve energy efficiency given its importance in not just tackling climate change, but economic and social well-being. “The government should also use this time to undertake a much-needed reform of the EPC methodology to ensure we accurately assess and incentivise energy performance improvements.

“RICS welcomes the announcement of additional support for the boiler upgrade scheme; however, we reiterate the importance of a holistic strategy that promotes energy efficiency and decarbonisation that is not limited to energy products.

“As part of this approach, the new second edition of Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the Built Environment (WLCA) will prove a powerful tool for achieving net zero targets in the built environment sector both in the UK and globally.”