MPs and Peers to consider energy efficiency of rented housing

From 1st April 2018, all privately rented properties will be required to have a minimum energy performance rating of E on an Energy Performance Certificate. This is likely to pose significant challenges given that privately rented homes are generally older and harder to treat than properties in other tenures. The Group’s inquiry follows the Government’s decision not to renew the Landlord Energy Savings Allowance in the March Budget. This had originally been introduced to encourage landlords to improve the energy efficiency of the properties they let but was dropped because of low take up. The Government has also ended funding for the Green Deal and a decision by the European Court of Justice earlier this year ruled that the reduced five per cent rate of VAT paid on energy efficiency products can no longer be applied, apart from when used for social rented housing. The Group will consider the impact of recent policy developments on energy efficiency improvements in the private rented sector and make recommendations about what new policies could be developed to support the sector within the Government’s overall ambitions for household energy efficiency and given its efforts to ensure value for taxpayers’ money. Announcing the inquiry, the…