Labour confirms its EPC plan for landlords – Propertymark calls for ‘incentives’

I thought Labour had a plan to transition to net zero by creating Great British Energy (GBE). In their ideal world, this would create a challenger to other forms of energy.

Of course, building millions more homes over the next ten years (to house an ever-increasing population) will add upwards pressure to energy prices. Maybe this will counter any benefits that the U.K. may see from GBE.

If landlords are required to spend £10k in an attempt to make their properties meet the EPC Rating C, many will sell. If that’s the governments aim, they should say so and encourage it more openly. Any spend will, of course, result in higher rents. The increases are likely to far outweigh any savings in energy costs.

The ‘improvements’ may add to the damage that has been done to older properties over the past 50 years through poor insulation measures.

There is a finite amount of resources to achieve higher EPC Ratings. Many people will be training as dentists to meet Labour’s manifesto pledges or as builders, doctors, police officers, the list goes on. Where will the installers come from?

What happens to Social Housing (SH)? Why not improve SH first using the funds from Labour’s attack on pensioners and the most vulnerable in society. Once it’s proven to be a success in SH, roll it out to private landlords in 2040. That’s if there are any private landlords left by 2040.

In the north of the country, houses cost as little as around £70k. Many are 100 years’ old and were built after the Great War. They are small, have no gardens, no driveways and because they are small, their energy bills are low. Wasting valuable resources trying to meet a flawed EPC Rating C on these homes is bonkers. They need to demolished and modern housing built in their place.

I can’t see the EPC C rating coming in by 2030 at all. These muppets wil be long gone before then!

Ha ha

At the rate Labour are going they can kiss goodbye to winning in 2029…

Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 07/08/2024 – 09:48
Does anybody know whether the 2030 date is for all tenancies or just for new tenancies?

Hi.

We have 2 rental properties, 1 being a 200yr+ terrace cottage.

The present tennant is pay with the rent and the character of the cottage with low beams and 2ft thick solid walls.

After a EPC survey 5 yes ago the only option to bring it to a C band was to install £18k of solar panels.

I think my only option is to sell.
How does this help the lack of housing.

Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 07/08/2024 – 08:40
they won’t let you sell you’ll be forced to do the upgrades, the real solution is to give the country affordable energy but as usual we LLs are the bogeyman

So Ed Milkitband has no concern for the millions suffering fuel poverty living in council accommodation. Two Tier housing policy !!

Reply to the comment left by John at 07/08/2024 – 10:17
So did the EPC assessor tell you that you could get to Band C without putting extra insulation on the inside of your solid walls if you installed solar panels?

What’s happened to the anticipated root and branch review of the EPC rating parameters? The system is no more fit for purpose now than when the previous government recognised its absurdities and kicked the plan into the long grass.

We have renovated a three bedroom semi detached house to a high standard. It has solar panels and we have done everything to make it energy efficient. However we are in a small hamlet with no mains gas. As a result we have been given D as an EPC rating.
To get a C we have to install night storage heaters. Currently there are energy efficient electric radiators. The Winter bills are offset by very low Summer bills. But the EPC algorithm doesn’t accept this.
We live in an area where there is a desperate shortage of rental properties. A good tenant is more important than market rent.
However with all the proposals the government are putting forward we are very uneasy.
So reluctantly we are going to sell it now. So a lovely home lost to a family that really needs one.