We all know it makes sense to have homes that are as energy efficient as possible, and even if you do not have lots of money to spend sprucing up older properties, there are grants available to help fund cavity wall and loft insulation, both of which can make a big difference to the running costs of a property.
However, energy efficiency is not just an issue that affects home owners—it also affects landlords, and if energy efficiency campaigners have their way, according to rules outlined in the Energy Bill currently doing the rounds in Parliament, from 2016 instead of 2018 there could be a ban introduced on the letting of private rented properties rated in band F or below.
At the moment, the House of Lords is not considering changing the parameters of the Energy Bill, but they have indicated that landlords who refuse show any signs of having made reasonable progress towards making their properties more energy efficient could be penalised under the new rules. As the Energy Bill currently stands, there is a loophole in the bill that allows landlords owning rental properties rated F and G under the energy efficiency guidelines to continue letting them to tenants, as long as they are showing willing and making some effort to improve their energy efficiency under the Green Deal Scheme.
But whatever the government is saying, the message I’m hearing from the discussion seems to be quite clear: make your properties more energy efficient or you could be penalised in the next few years.
