The UK government is considering a proposal that would require landlords to make their properties more energy efficient over the next few years. They say the changes will be "fair and proportionate".
By law, all homes that are sold or rented must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which measures, among other things, how well a property is insulated and heated. Homes are given a grade between A and G.
The closer to A, the more efficient the home, meaning it should have lower energy bills and a smaller carbon footprint.
In England, Wales and Scotland, all private rental properties must be rated E or above. Your current rating can be checked on the government's website. In 2020, the UK government consulted on plans to make the private rented sector more energy efficient.
Under its preferred option, landlords would be required to ensure all new rental properties were at least grade C from 2025. They would only be required to make improvements up to the cost of £10,000.
Chris Norris, the director of policy at the National Residential Landlords Association, says the sector needs up to six years to get the majority of properties to grade C. "The problem is they've never actually confirmed what the new rules will be.
"You've got lots of landlords who are actually quite open to making changes to their properties, but they really don't know what path to take and they can't commit to those spending decisions until we find out exactly what the Government wants to do." Mr Norris says some landlords will be forced out of the market or forced to hike up rent.
The UK has some of the least energy-efficient housing in Europe - largely because much of the housing stock is so old. The government previously set a target to upgrade as many homes as possible to grade C by 2035 where practical, cost-effective and affordable.
The Department of Business, Energy and Industry strategy says it will respond to its consultation in due course. It says the number of homes with a rating of C or above has gone from 16% in 2011 to 47% in 2022. But Jonathan Winston, a support manager at the Carbon Trust, says change isn't happening fast enough to meet Net Zero targets by 2050.
"It's increasingly the situation that we're running out of time," he says. In September last year, the government announced plans to help make homes more energy efficient.
The funding is being made available to local authorities and social housing providers with the aim of upgrading 130,000 homes.
