Following on from our successful ‘Get ready for minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES)’ project which helped landlords in the South West understand their legal obligations in the wake of new energy efficiency standards which came into force in April 2018, this new project will continue to offer advice and support to landlords on how they can meet their MEES obligations.

The regulations which were introduced in April 2018 stated that landlords of all privately rented domestic properties must ensure that their properties have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least Band E before granting a new or renewed tenancy. From April 2020 these requirements were extended to all privately rented domestic properties, even where there has been no change in tenancy arrangements. By 2030 the government plans to raise the EPC requirements for all privately rented domestic properties to Band C.

To comply with the regulations landlords would need to either take action to improve the energy efficiency of their properties or apply for an exemption, they could be fined up to £5,000 if they don’t comply.

Through attending local landlord forum events and contacting letting agents across the South West, the project aims to help landlords understand

• Their current EPC rating and its accuracy.
• If the new standards will affect them.
• What measures they need to take to make their property more efficient.
• Grants and financial support available for making changes to their property.
• Information on how to apply for an exemption and how they can evidence their exemption.

We can also advise landlords one to one through the Home Energy Freephone number.

 “Properties that have an EPC rating of F and G are likely to have significantly higher annual energy costs than those with an EPC rating of E. In many cases these households will not be able to afford to heat their properties to a comfortable temperature which means many of them are likely to be living in fuel poverty” explained Sonia Pruzinsky, CSE’s lead on the project, “what we hope to achieve through this project is to help landlords understand what measures they can install to bring up the energy rating, what funding opportunities are available and refer them to trusted installers that can offer this”.