Updating post from Reddit.
> If the proposals go ahead, landlords will need to meet the higher energy efficiency standard of an EPC C, based on the new metrics in order to let their properties. The is a proposed cost cap of £15,000 per property, a possible affordability exemption that lowers the cost cap to £10,000 for some properties, and a phased rollout starting in 2028.
> Instead of just relying on EPC ratings, if it goes ahead, the new system would introduce new metrics in 2026, focusing on three metrics > - Fabric performance metric. Measures the “fabric efficiency” of the building, ie how well it retains heat, taking into account the insulation, double-glazing, and draught-proofing. > - Heating system metric. Assesses the performance of heating and hot water systems, prioritising low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps. > - Smart readiness metric. Evaluates a property’s ability to use energy efficiently through smart meters, battery storage, and flexible energy usage. These metrics contrast
A lot more detail here The proposed new EPC energy efficiency rules for landlords explained
Absolute load of tosh. The returns from any saving will be decades if not ever. Tenants will be partying about this thinking another great thing for tenant rights but the fact of the matter is higher rents and less houses to rent.
Currently getting a heat pump, solar and Tesla Powerwall installed to my student let.
16 Aiko panels and a PW3 are costing £12.4k and will return ~£1.6k annually, and add at least a couple grand when I sell up.
Heat pump install cost (Inc free radiator upgrades) is £3.6k (cheap as £1.8k from octopus but wanted a Vailliant arotherm instead). On average, people are getting SCOPs of 4.5-5+ with the Arotherm so will still end up a couple hundred quid cheaper than gas over the year. Also no more gas standing charge which saves another £100, no more gas safety certificates either (though negligible saving here as you'll still want it serviced)
Who did you use for your solar panels? We're in the process of buying a house from the 60s with a back boiler, and EPC E. The roof is south facing. We're thinking to do the same.
I'm going with sustainable energy engineering in Washington as based in the North East. Entire Renewables in Tarporley offered to match the quote and do installs nationwide, so I'd recommend getting a quote from them - their original quote didn't include bird netting so make sure to ask for that, and they originally included the Tesla gateway in the quote but I couldn't see much point to it.
Who did you get your heat pump install through?
Booked in for April, that quote was from BOXT, but I got a local company in the North East to price not too much more. Though in hindsight, I would've stuck with BOXT for the free radiator upgrades.
Fewer. You can count houses, so "fewer".
Also EPC ratings are a joke. There is no real resting just a surface level assessment.
I've lived in a cold flat with no roof insulation (flat concrete roof) that had a C. And in completely refurbished houses with triple glazing that were a D
Stick some insulation into the loft, insulate the loft door, draught proof the house and change all bulbs to LEDs where possible.
Reckon it should be enough to take a lot of people just over the line. I'm definitely not spending 15 grand.
You can safely say that half of the properties in the UK will fail leaving first time buyers buying the left over terrible stock. This will create a surge in demand for newer and more efficient properties driving house prices. Ed miliband needs to fuck off and get himself another job.
Or just fuck off. Everything he touches turns to shit
We already do buy the left over stock. Are you saying there will be more stock to buy? What will that do for the prices for first time buyers? BTW first time buyers are recommended to get on the ladder, that involves slumming it in a formerly rented out house for a while and then selling and moving up. No first time buyer buys their forever home. Not any more. Well.. maybe if these houses were in a better condition then maybe.
£5k to £10k to make sure your house meets the standards is another way to make the economy go round. Wee wealth creator for this useless government. Also what if you can’t make the house meet the standards after spending all that money. Then what? They will pass that cost onto tenants or other potential buyers. First time buyers ain’t buying low stock they usually buying once and forever given the costs of housing ADS and stamp duty and energy bills. This has not been well thought out. Majority of landlords are decent folk which dish out good stock.
No. They're not. First time buyers can't afford to buy middle stock. They can only afford to buy damp traps with rotting windows and 100 year old roofs. I say this as a former first time buyer and every single one of my friends and colleagues all did the same. Buy scrap. Gain equity, buy better.
Let’s just face it, what they are saying is: “Hey landlords, be ready to take on a debt of £15,000 per property.” With the new bill limiting how LL can increase the rent, this is quite a hit. An unfair one. Any idea how to deal with this nonsense? Edit: plus, you can’t claim any of these expenses in your annual self assessment as these are all for capital gain tax = when you sell
The only realistic solution is to sell any property under C.
No not really. It is still too early to make a decision to sell, I wouldn’t. There are Government grants cover boiler upgrade, heat pump, insulation and solar panels. These can up the EPC massively.
If you're on the borderline, sure.
But if you need £10,000–15,000... not worth it, in my opinion.
Unless your bet is that this measure will be discarded—which is something I could bet on
As the article says, the EPC rating system will be changed. There are so many new elements/products in the market nowadays that could change energy efficiency of a home. But EPC is always inaccurate and it will still be, for example if you have done most thing to achieve a D but you never use curtains and leaving window open to ventilate, I’m sure it will be colder than a home with a E with alll curtains closed and no window open. Another example is, not the whole floor area is cellar, then suspended floor does not count. That is inaccurate. And insulating the section where suspended floor is will help retaining heat. Now using an inaccurate system as a basis of forcing property owners to pay is super unfair. Another thing is that not all LLs chose to be a LL. Lastly, that amount is a one size fits all amount. A small flat vs a 4 bed detached for example. 15k can only do f all for a medium sized detached. Boiler itself would be well 5k for a combination one. Also, can I not do DIY? So how to calculate my wages into the cost if I do DIY then? I’m against this EPC C policy. They can do better if they really want everyone to benefit. Imposing a policy to harm one group of people in the name of helping another is discrimination.
Any ideas how to deal with a house that has single glazing windows which produce drafts and a landlord who refuses to address it saying changing the windows is out of the question?
Have you ask them why is it out of the question?
Sounds like a waste of money.
There are no works that will require £10.000 that will bring a property to C.
And its not worth insulating a property to the levels they keep thinking they need to, as the house needs to breath.
It's a good job that all retrofit projects, such as insulation,. completely through the PAS2035 retrofit pathway are required to have a ventilation assessment and remedial works to mitigate the sealing up of the dwelling.
You have all those Victorian houses, all D, already with double glazing, loft insulation, efficient gas boiler, low energy lights.
Under the new assessment they will be rerated E with no heat pump lol.
Then with heat pump your back at D and needing solid wall insulation or underfloor. What about all those dog leg kitchens with solid concrete floors with zero insulation (or heating) lol.
Spend the money and you won’t get the returns renting it back to tenants. Spend the money and you wouldn’t get it back if you sold.
Instead the 15k on decorating and sell to an owner occupier, they will give an extra 50k.
Zero Victorian housing for rental lol.
I have a Victorian terraced house which was assessed at the weekend and given a C rating. I was surprised as it was previously rated D but had double glazing fitted 5 years ago.
This is madness . Lunacy of the highest order . Who the hell is coming up with these policies? Are they for real . This is ill thought out and ill advised it will have a devastating impact on tenants and will result in a rental crisis . These people are mad . I am out . Just have a few more to get rid of next year . I was thinking of saving them for my kids but no more.
How have you worked any of that out?!
Re-rated an E -- to get which metric? The fabric efficiency metric which hasn't been banded yet? Or the heating system metric which doesn't even exist yet?
Because I am an assessor.
The new focus is on carbon reduction and moving away from cost which gas boilers are good at.
Heat pumps have potential to be zero carbon, and will account itself for a band improvement, like a gas boiler is currently.
So all properties with high carbon gas boiler will drop a band.
So your answer is, you made it all up?
i think the govt is trying to push the adoption of solar panel and the heat pump as well
not solar panels, they got rid of fit payments or anything good. They want to sell more electric. Heat pumps achieves that goal.
How will this work on properties before 1940 ish? Where I live the most 2 high demand areas for rentals are all Victorian housing like probs 70% renters and 30% owners. So government will just put them all on street?
I think maybe do noting until it’s law seems to be going on forever this.
Madness, this will exacerbate the rental crisis .
God knows how I'm going to accomplish most of this with a property that's a flat converted from an old Victorian high school (Grade 2 listed) in the middle of a conservation area.
The article says there are exemptions, which this property would fall under as the whole building is dictated to us by the Conservation officer, but that'll probably change...
What if the property is listed and already has had the maximum amount of work done?
They are removing the exception but its a bit vague what they are replacing it with.
You're thinking about different exemptions. Currently, a listed building isn't required to comply with the regulations if an EPC isn't required for sale or rent. The EPC reform proposes that listed status no longer being a factor in having an EPC for sale or rent, the same as Scotland. This means the actual exemptions under MEES become applicable for listed buildings, particularly the third-party consent exemption.
Exactly mate. They expect people to fork out £10k for modifications. Having laugh out some clothes on and everything should be fine. This will also result in professionals bypassing the work required and more shoddy workmanship.
while creating more efficient homes is valiant, all this does is push more private landlords out the market for corporations to hoover them up. smaller portfolio landlords cannot keep up with the frequent regulation changes
I am selling the remainder of my portfolio next year.
I am out .
They can expletive off. I am out , that's more properties off the rental market in E17 and E10 and E7.
I sold some already and some are currently on the market .
This is the final straw.
Is this scheme actually for energy efficiency or just a cover for something else and also very much likely to push up rent.
Hedge funds are waiting in the wings to just buy up much of the housing stock.
What about properties where the EPC states that they cannot be improved any further?
There'll be exemptions as there are now