CPS Homes

Rented properties must be rated at least an 'E' for energy efficiency from 1 April 2018

Properties must be rated 'E' for energy efficiencyFrom 1 April 2018, landlords will be unable to grant a tenancy – whether it be a new one or a renewal of an existing one – if their property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) does not show at least a rating 'E' for energy efficiency.

Then, from 1st April 2020, the minimum 'E' rating will apply to all existing tenancies.

EPCs have been a legal requirement for all rented properties since 2008. Each certificate last for 10 years and rates a property’s energy efficiency between A and G, with A being the highest rating possible. They show how efficiently a home uses energy, the cost of running a home and recommendations on how to improve the overall energy efficiency.

All recorded EPCs can be found via the online EPC Register.

What would make my property energy inefficient?

Typically, properties with a low rating have most, if not all, of the following characteristics;

  • No central heating or a central heating system with a very inefficient boiler;
  • An uninsulated hot water cylinder;
  • Solid walls, uninsulated cavity walls or walls of a non-traditional construction type;
  • Less than 100mm of loft insulation;
  • Single glazed windows;
  • No low energy light bulbs or draught proofing

Further to the above, suggestions have been made to increase the minimum rating to D in 2025, then to C in 2030. It is therefore advisable for landlords to consider increasing the energy efficiency to the highest possible rating in order to avoid potential restrictions on future lets.

Should you require any further information on the new rules surrounding EPCs, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at CPS Homes estate agents via sophie.green@cpshomes.co.uk.

05 July 2017

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