A new cross-sector report warns that the government must urgently set out how landlords are expected to meet tougher energy efficiency standards by 2030. The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) and Energy Saving Trust have called for a clear implementation roadmap covering Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES).
They warn that landlords, lenders, installers and councils need certainty now if the sector is to complete upgrades within the government’s timetable. The intervention follows a parliamentary roundtable chaired by Clive Betts MP, which brought together 12 organisations from housing, consumer protection, energy efficiency, finance and local government.
Risk of landlords delaying work
Participants broadly welcomed the direction of the government’s Warm Homes Plan and revised approach to MEES. However, they warned that the four-year timetable leaves little room for further uncertainty. The report argues that ministers need to explain how the new MEES regime will interact with changes to Energy Performance Certificates, and calls for clarity around exemptions, enforcement and financial support.
Without that detail, landlords could delay investment until closer to the 2030 deadline. The report warns this could create a rush for installers and put additional pressure on supply chains. Councils responsible for enforcement could also face greater pressure.
Finance and skilled workers
The report identifies access to finance and a shortage of skilled installers as two potential obstacles. It wants the government to give retrofit businesses enough certainty to invest in training and apprenticeships, and calls for stronger quality controls. The government should also work with lenders to improve landlords’ access to finance, according to the report.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said: “Landlords want to provide homes that are warmer, cheaper to heat and fit for the future. Whilst the changes announced by the Government earlier this year have made the proposed framework more workable, the focus now needs to be on making sure it can actually be delivered.
“2030 may sound some way off, but upgrading homes on the scale now needed requires landlords, installers, lenders, local authorities and tenants to start preparing now.”
Stew Horne, Energy Saving Trust’s group head of sector intelligence and external affairs, said: “Access to green finance products, such as low-cost loans, will support landlords to invest in their properties, alongside tailored, in-depth advice to help them navigate the requirements and identify suitable measures.”
Councils need enforcement resources
The report also calls for stronger enforcement and consumer protection. It says councils need sufficient resources to police the new standards effectively, while landlords and tenants need simpler routes for complaints and redress. The proposed Warm Homes Agency should provide a national source of impartial advice, according to the report. It also calls for targeted support for tenants, particularly older and disabled people and households at risk of fuel poverty.
Betts said: “Ministers now need to turn welcome ambitions into reality on the ground. The proposals being published today would achieve that and I urge the Government to take the recommendations seriously.”
The NRLA said it supports the government’s overall ambition but wants ministers to put the practical framework in place well ahead of the 2030 deadline.
