Government stalls long-awaited upgrade of private rentals

Energy efficiency campaigners have slammed the government for again stalling its plans to upgrade privately rented properties across the country.

Graham Stuart, minister of state for energy security and net zero, has confirmed that the government response to a consultation on higher energy efficiency standards for the private rented sector may not be published until the end of this year.

That is despite a consultation on the proposed Private Rented Sector Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) concluding nearly two years ago.

Under the proposed MEES landlords would be obliged to meet Energy Performance Certificate Band C in new tenancies from 2025.

In response to a written question from former COP26 president Alok Sharma, Stuart said: “The government is continuing to refine the policy design to ensure the costs and circumstances relating to energy efficiency improvements are fair and proportionate for landlords and tenants. The government will publish a summary of responses by the end of this year.”

The government’s recently published Energy Security Plan said the long-awaited response to the consultation will be published “in due course” but provided no date for when this would happen.

Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit slammed the government for delaying its response, saying that the indecision leaves both landlords and renters in the dark.

Ralston said: “Delays to energy efficiency improvements keep tenants bills higher for longer and landlords in the dark about what they’re expected to do.

“You’d think that an energy security and bills crisis would put reducing gas use – and bills – at the top of the Government’s list, but it seems a lack of certainty around policy is becoming a theme with delays to decisions on boilers for off gas grid homes, new builds in the Future Homes Standard, and onshore wind.

“With the North Sea continuing its decline, unless we use less gas in our homes we’ll be more reliant on foreign gas imports in the future.”

Chris Friedler, policy manager (energy efficiency and industrial energy) at The Association for Decentralised Energy, added: “The Private Rented Sector Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards consultation response has been held up quite long enough, at nearly two and half years since industry was consulted.

“While we appreciate it is important to get these difficult details right, this delay and lack of clarity is causing uncertainty and risk for industry, landlords and tenants.

“Industry should receive at least some kind of intermediary update on where these proposals have reached, and government should seek further engagement with and assistance from industry to refine details and iron out problems.

“These standards are some of the most significant tools we have to decarbonise buildings, fighting climate change, energy insecurity and sky-high bills in one go – we must have strong and fair proposals urgently.”