Landlords across the UK have been mandated to upgrade their rental properties to achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of ‘C’ by 2030, a significant move announced by Ed Miliband, the Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, in a recent House of Commons session.
Mr Miliband highlighted that this directive is a cornerstone of the government’s broader strategy to combat fuel poverty, which currently plagues over three million citizens nationwide.
“This government is taking decisive action to address fuel poverty, unlike the previous administration,” said Miliband. “We are insisting that landlords elevate their properties to an EPC rating of ‘C’ by 2030. This move aims to enhance living conditions and boost energy efficiency in rental properties, potentially lowering energy costs for tenants.”
He further stressed the administration’s commitment to significantly reducing the number of people affected by fuel poverty over the next five years, emphasizing, “Our ambition is clear: to cut that figure of 3.2 million as much as possible during this Parliament.”
However, while the targets have been set, Miliband did not elaborate on the enforcement mechanisms or the support schemes that might be available to landlords to help meet these new standards. The lack of detailed implementation plans leaves some uncertainty about how these ambitious goals will be achieved.