The government is planning to reform Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) in a bid to make them more effective drivers of energy efficiency investment.

The way a building is constructed, insulated, heated, ventilated and the type of fuel used, all contribute to its carbon emissions, and that is why EPCs are widely used to measure their energy performance, both in the residential and commercial sectors and are a key tool in promoting energy efficiency improvements.

But the government is now seeking evidence on how the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) scheme is working and suggestions for improvement across both domestic and non-domestic sectors, as part of the government’s intention to improve the quality and consistency of EPC data and make it more widely available to third parties.

The department for business, energy and industrial strategy is looking for views across the whole process for gathering, generating, storing, using and making available the information found on an EPC.

The consultation, which can be accessed by clicking here, is inviting responses by the 19th October 2018.

In April 2018, the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) came into force in England and Wales, which required buy-to-let landlords to meet new MEES with a minimum rating of E, with a view to encouraging landlords and property owners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties by a restriction on the granting and continuation of existing tenancies where the property has an Energy Performance Certificate Rating of F and G.

These regulations make it unlawful for landlords to grant a new lease for properties that have an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating below E, unless the property is registered as an exemption.

Buy-to-let landlords with existing tenancies on properties rented out in the private rented sector must also take note of the next deadline that relates to the energy performance of the building.

While April 2018 heralded an initial change in the rules regarding energy efficiency standards, the bigger picture will see regulations that affect all rental properties. 

Irrespective of the length of tenancy, in April 2020 it will become unlawful to rent any property that has an existing or continuing tenancy that fails to meet the minimum required energy rating.