The government has committed to upgrade as many private rented sector homes as possible to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C by 2030, where practical, cost-effective and affordable.

This consultation sets out a suite of policy proposals towards achieving this. These proposals will bring significant benefits to landlords, tenants and our environment including:

• reducing energy bills and increased comfort for tenants and supporting delivery of our statutory fuel poverty target of EPC C by 2030
• potential property value improvements for landlords
• delivering carbon emission savings over Carbon Budgets 4 and 5, making progress towards our net zero target

They have published a consultation stage impact assessment alongside this consultation.

Our homes are a key part of our national heritage. They have shaped and defined us as a society. They reflect our culture and environment, and change over time with new tastes and technologies, and to meet new priorities. The UK housing stock is generally older than in the rest of Europe, and the potential for improvement in the energy performance of our homes is considerable. This is perhaps most significant in the private rented sector, which represents 20% of our housing stock, and has the highest concentration of fuel poor tenants (17.7%).

Improving the energy performance of these homes is a vital part of our wider strategy to decarbonise buildings cost-effectively, in light of the significant challenges posed by climate change.

This consultation seeks views on the government’s proposal to amend the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 (from now on referred to as “the PRS Regulations”). The proposed amendments would significantly improve the energy performance of private rented sector homes in the 2020s, in order to:
• Deliver significant emission reductions, which will contribute to Carbon Budgets 4 and 5 and support a decarbonisation pathway consistent with our Net Zero 2050 target;
• Decrease bills for low income and vulnerable tenants, in support of the government’s statutory fuel poverty target;
• Increase the quality, value and desirability of landlords’ assets;
• Reduce energy bills for tenants and ensure warmer homes;
• Support investment in high quality jobs and skills in the domestic retrofit supply chain across England and Wales;
• Provide greater energy security through lower energy demand on the grid and reduced fuel imports.