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Martin Gibbons
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Martin Gibbons
I wouldn’t be too sure about that, young man. Don’t get left behind. Don’t fail to invest back into your assets and improve the quality of your units. Lower running cost PRS houses and flats are the future and the steady transition to an All Electric UK building stock is the long term future for investors.

From: Martin Gibbons 26 April 2024 07:35 AM

Martin Gibbons
Oh George you're a few days late to play the April Fool ! This 'tax refund' for landlords is precisely what property investors on this forum have been calling for years. And now you criticise the Conservative government for paying to improve the quality of PRS landlords' rental units. Do you like Britain being hooked on importing gas from Norway, Qatar, Iran and Russia? We need to take back control of our nation's energy security. Using less of the expensive energy to power up our domestic and commercial buildings is a fundamental part of the plan. It's common sense. For the last two winters we've had 8 million families living in fuel poverty (including many of the children of readers of LandlordToday). The EPC national measurement system and the Conservative's MEES standard are fit-for-purpose. They have been helping to steadily improve the energy efficiency of the UK's building stock for the last 16 years. The EPCs on your own rental units, George, are accurate because you wouldn't have paid for them if they were not. Your EPCs contain two Grades - Running Cost AND CO2 pollution measurements. The certificates have ALWAYS informed landlords on how to lower running costs AND lower carbon emissions. Thank goodness LandlordToday is a champion of free speech. I'm all about free speech and hearing a diversity of views.

From: Martin Gibbons 26 April 2024 07:23 AM

Martin Gibbons
It’s common sense to improve the quality of rental assets to ‘Running Cost’ EPC Grade C and ‘CO2 Pollution’ EPC Grade C. The evidence that it delivers rental and capital appreciation has been clear for years.

From: Martin Gibbons 17 April 2024 06:44 AM

Martin Gibbons
Good words, Nicky. I think the £500,000 would have been better spent on training SRS tenants on how to look after the house/flat that the few remaining taxpayers have generously provided them with. Common sense.

From: Martin Gibbons 13 March 2024 09:14 AM

Martin Gibbons
Totally agree with that, Jo. The common sense solution is to gradually upgrade our PRS stock as units become vacant and proper refurbishments are possible: 1. Get draft predicted EPCs from a good local energy assessor showing a refurb that delivers both a Running Cost EPC of Grade C AND a CO2 Pollution EPC of Grade C. As we all know, the now fit-for-purpose and accurate domestic EPCs show TWO Grades that are measuring quite different things. Some lenders now want EPCs showing both Running Cost Grade C and CO2 Pollution Grade C. 2. Install 5cm sheet of Celotex on the inside of external facing walls and plaster. 3. Install 5cm sheet of Celotex on ceilings and plaster. 4. Fit LED light bulbs in all fittings. 5. Install two layers of Rockwool (one at rightangles to the other) in the loft. 6. Install Octopus Energy Cosy 6 electric heat pump to power-up existing wet rads. Using the Government's generous £7,500 boiler replacement 'tax refund' 7. Put a Govee thermometer is each room. 8. Install a Nuaire Drimaster Heat PIV ventilation unit in the Hallway. 9. Install a Windowskin over any draughty windows. This is how we upgraded all UK homes to a fitted kitchen. This is how we upgraded all UK homes to mains electricity. This is how we upgraded all UK homes to an inside toilet and fitted bathroom. It's really not difficult.

From: Martin Gibbons 12 March 2024 12:52 PM

Martin Gibbons
I think that's right, Simon. If a landlord can't install a 5cm sheet of Celotex on the inside of external facing walls, fit 2 x layers of Rockwool in the loft and claim the £7,500 'tax refund' of a Cosy 6 electric heat pump from Octopus Energy, then moving to a different investment class makes common sense. Co-operative Bank are offering 7%. Any local domestic energy assessor will give you a draft predicted EPC service showing the best pathway to achieve the 'Double Grade C' EPC Certificate (that is Grade C for Running Cost and Grade C for CO2 emissions).

From: Martin Gibbons 01 March 2024 11:50 AM

Martin Gibbons
Oh Mr Annoying please change the record and show some respect. Are you one of these eco zealots?

From: Martin Gibbons 17 February 2024 20:43 PM

Martin Gibbons
Agreed. Insulate walls, two layers of Rockwool in the loft and then a basic Nuaire Heat PIV mechanical ventilation unit in hallway ceiling. Simple and common sense. It’s amazing that some energy wasteful Luddite investors still haven’t upgraded their rental units to a ‘real world’ specification.

From: Martin Gibbons 17 February 2024 20:09 PM

Martin Gibbons
It would seem foolish for landlords not to want to improve the quality of their assets. Rational investors make decisions that increase the underlying value of their assets. Without an EPC of ‘Running Cost’ Grade C and ‘CO2 Pollution’ Grade C domestic landlords will find it impossible to refinance and impossible to secure a retirement sale to a purchaser requiring mortgage finance.

From: Martin Gibbons 14 February 2024 07:12 AM

Martin Gibbons
Errr Urquhart, this is precisely why the Conservative Government introduced the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard! Oh and they had to bring in Food Hygiene Standards for all restaurants because the public were getting food poisoning. Do you enjoy eating out in safety? LOL.

From: Martin Gibbons 09 February 2024 11:41 AM

Martin Gibbons
Genius. I’m actually on holiday this week, but it’s nice that you miss me. BTW why don’t you post under your real name?

From: Martin Gibbons 09 February 2024 11:31 AM

Martin Gibbons
No one in their right mind would install a new gas boiler into a domestic or commercial rental unit. Why would you lock-in to burn a fossil fuel for the next 15 years. The price of gas has been extremely volatile since the Ukraine war started. The CO2 pollution from burning gas damages our fragile environment. Installing a new gas boiler today is like building a house from asbestos in 1999 - legal but stupid. The heat pumps in my rental units are all working very well. It’s common sense.

From: Martin Gibbons 07 February 2024 06:43 AM

Martin Gibbons
We’ve known this for years. EPCs prepared by professional assessors are now very much fit for purpose. Higher quality properties with insulated walls, insulated loft and an efficient heating system will always have a higher rental value and capital value compared to sub-standard units. EPCs are now accurate, working and people and lenders use the national measurement system. It’s common sense.

From: Martin Gibbons 07 February 2024 06:35 AM

Martin Gibbons
What is unfathomable is why so many PRS landlords have chosen not to install basic insulation in the walls and lofts of their units and fit a lower running cost central heating system. Doing these simple things, over a period of time, is common sense. Always has been. We've had the now very reliable and accurate EPC national measurement system in place for 16 years. We've had the Conservative's excellent Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) in place for 9 years but still thousands of landlords think it makes long-term investment sense to own a poor quality asset and have their customers in crippling fuel poverty. The domestic EPC has always told landlords and tenants precisely what they need to know. The headline EPC Grade is the running cost measurement. That's the correct thing to measure for most - my rental occupiers care about winter heating bills and NOT carbon emissions. But if you do care about carbon emissions the certificate has (since 2008) presented a secondary EPC Grade with the CO2 pollution measurement. Sensible landlords look at BOTH EPC Grades and aim to get them BOTH to Grade C or better. I can't believe that there are still some landlords that don't understand the EPC national measurement system. These short-sighted landlords' business models are well and truly broken and their rental units are not fit-for-purpose. They are moaning loudly because they've been found out.

From: Martin Gibbons 01 February 2024 06:45 AM

Martin Gibbons
A handyman installed Nuaire Drimaster Heat Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) unit solves the condensation issue - mould - and moans. Simple and common sense.

From: Martin Gibbons 31 January 2024 07:23 AM

Martin Gibbons
We've known this for along time. All of our new tenants ask about the energy running costs of the house or flat. In the past energy costs have been the number 1 moan from our existing tenants. This has been addressed with a systematic investment in energy efficiency over 10 years. In our experience, the EPC national measurement system is now very accurate and almost all of our directly owned units are EPC Grade C or higher. Having a good EPC Grade is a valuable marketing tool and gives confidence to our tenants.

From: Martin Gibbons 29 January 2024 07:43 AM

Martin Gibbons
Fit a Nuaire Drimaster 'Heat' Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) fan and the problem goes away. Fit a tamper proof cover over the ON/OFF switch from SSP Direct. That's what I've done in every rental unit I own and my own office as well. Social landlords have installed Nuarie PIV fans in thousands of their units. It's very hard for a tenant to mount a successful claim if you are EPC Grade C and have installed a PIV fan. It's common sense.

From: Martin Gibbons 23 January 2024 12:25 PM

Martin Gibbons
Fit a Nuaire Drimaster 'Heat' Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) fan and the problem goes away. Fit a tamper proof cover over the ON/OFF switch from SSP Direct. That's what I've done in every unit I own and my own office as well. That's what social landlords have done in thousands of their units. It's very hard for a tenant to mount a successful claim if you are EPC Grade C and have installed a PIV fan. It's common sense.

From: Martin Gibbons 23 January 2024 07:30 AM

Martin Gibbons
I, together with every domestic & commercial landlord that we do business with, are now very pleased with the accuracy of the UK's EPC national measurement system. When you engage a professional energy assessor and provide them with background information on the property the EPC Grade is spot on. EPCs and the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard have helped thousands of landlords improve the quality of their rental units - getting tenants out of fuel poverty and reducing CO2 pollution. It's common sense. The domestic EPC has always measured both running cost AND CO2 emissions; there are TWO EPC Grades on the certificate. It only seems to be the 'British Leyland' landlords who moan about the positive progress being made to eliminate energy waste.

From: Martin Gibbons 27 December 2023 20:16 PM

Martin Gibbons
Buy a Nuaire Drimaster Heat Positive Input Ventilation unit. Or a similar PIV unit Cut 1cm off the bottom of internal doors. Problem solved. This is what Housing Associations have done in thousands of their houses and flats. This is what I've done and it works.

From: Martin Gibbons 20 December 2023 08:14 AM

Martin Gibbons
I've been extremely pleased with the accuracy of all the domestic and commercial EPCs that I've obtained over the last 10 years. Just as with any trade or professional service I've tried a few different energy assessors and now found a couple that deliver me fit-for-purpose EPCs that correctly reflect the investment properties that my wife and I own. It sounds like good news that our Conservative Government is further improving EPCs, the UK's national measurement system for energy efficiency in all buildings.

From: Martin Gibbons 14 December 2023 07:31 AM

Martin Gibbons
Let's face it, this article is actually pretty accurate. It's a national disgrace that some PRS landlords have still not improved their rental units and made them fit-for-purpose. We've had the increasingly accurate EPC national measurement system firmly in place for 15 years. We've had the Conservative's excellent Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) in place since 2015, but still some naïve landlords do nothing to improve their assets. Last winter me (and the few of us who still pay tax) paid £40 billion to subsidise the energy bills of every citizen in the UK. Most live in energy wasteful homes. My money went straight to the sovereign wealth funds of gas exporting Norway, Qatar, Algeria and indirectly to Putin's war machine. It's not difficult to make a house or flat a future-proof investment: 1. You put 2 x layers of new Rockwool in the loft and padlock the hatch shut so the tenant cannot crush the insulation with their suitcases 2. You insulate the walls - external insulation and new render like Housing Associations have been doing to thousands of their units over many years. Or get a handyman to add a 5cm sheet of Celotex to the INSIDE of any walls facing the outside world. 5cm on ONE wall really doesn't make the room much smaller. I've tested this in the real world and you DO NOT get a condensation problem. 3. Install an electric heat pump using the £7,500 of FREE MONEY from the Government via great schemes run by British Gas, Octopus Energy etc etc. The heat pump from Octopus called the Cosy 6 even looks quite attractive. 4. If you are refurbing whilst the unit is vacant then get some insulation under the ground-floor floor boards. 5. Install a simple Nuaire Drimaster Heat ventilation unit that totally eliminates condensation, damp and mould forever. Again, Housing Associations have installed thousands of these low-cost devices to make their houses and flats decent for their tenants. With this simple mechanical ventilation tenants' towels and clothes washing actually dry. 6. Before you do the above works get a domestic energy assessor to survey the house/flat and provide you with a draft 'predicted' EPC that shows a Running Cost EPC of Grade C and a CO2 pollution EPC of Grade C (this is called an Environmental Impact Grade on the certificate - all EPCs come with TWO EPC Grades) It's all COMMON SENSE.

From: Martin Gibbons 05 December 2023 07:24 AM

Martin Gibbons
It really is a national disgrace that some PRS landlords have not improved their rental units and made them fit-for-purpose. We've had the accurate EPC national measurement system firmly in place for 15 years. We've had the Conservative's excellent Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) in place since 2015 but still some naive landlords do nothing to improve their assets. It's not difficult. 1. You put 2 x layers of new Rockwool in the loft and padlock the hatch shut so the tenant cannot crush the insulation with their suitcases 2. You insulate the walls - external insulation and new render like Housing Associations have been doing to thousands of their units over many years. Or get a handyman to add a 5cm sheet of Celotex to the INSIDE of any walls facing the outside world. 5cm on ONE wall really doesn't make the room much smaller ! 3. Install an electric heat pump using the £7,500 of FREE MONEY from the Government via great schemes run by British Gas, Octopus Energy etc etc. The heat pump from Octopus called the Cosy 6 even looks quite attractive. 4. If you are refurbing whilst the unit is vacant then get some insulation under the ground-floor floor boards. 5. Install a simple Nuaire Drimaster Heat ventilation unit that totally eliminates condensation, damp and mould forever. Again, Housing Associations have installed thousands of these low-cost devices to make their houses and flat decent for their tenants 6. Before you do the above works get a domestic energy assessor to survey the house/flat and provide you with a draft 'predicted' EPC that shows a Running Cost EPC of Grade C and a CO2 pollution EPC of Grade C (this is called an Environmental Impact Grade on the certificate - all EPCs come with TWO EPC Grades) It's all COMMON SENSE. I expect this post will be followed by a few puerile comments from folk who I doubt really are serious, long-term landlords.

From: Martin Gibbons 16 November 2023 07:05 AM

Martin Gibbons
It's pretty easy to fix: 1. Install two layers of Rockwool in the loft, one at right angles to the other and padlock the hatch shut 2. Fill the cavity with insulation (unless your house faces the ocean and has appalling brickwork pointing) 3. Install 5cm of Celotex on the inside of external walls and redecorate 4. Philips LED light bulbs in all fittings 5. Buy WindowSkin winter secondary glazing 6. Electrician to fit Dimplex Quantum electric heaters running on Octopus Energy's cheap midnight to 4 am tariff 7. Handyman to install Nuair Drimaster Heat PIV ventilation unit in the hallway with ON/OFF button in a lockable case from SSP Direct - totally eliminates condensation and mould and your washing & towels dry all year round 8. Get a draft predicted domestic EPC from a energy assessor, who is a professional member of PEPA, BEFORE the works and get them back AFTER the works to finalise the new, Lodged 10-year valid EPC. Aim to get BOTH EPC Grades up to C, for the 'running cost' EPC Grade and the 'CO2 pollution' EPC Grade. Both Grades have been clearly shown on a domestic EPC for the past 15 years (despite what some folk write on this website!) NOTE - I do not work for any of the above companies. Its all common sense and will make our PRS and owner occupier housing stock - Fit for Purpose. I await the responses as to why the above is totally impossible. They'll probably be the same reasons property owners used during the transition from outside privy to indoor bathroom, from fire risk to UK Fire Standards and from lethal asbestos to clean of asbestos. Long term decisions for a brighter future.

From: Martin Gibbons 06 October 2023 07:13 AM

Martin Gibbons
It's common sense for all landlords to fit 2 x layers of Rockwool in the lofts of their units (and then padlock the hatch shut), fit 5cm of Celotex on the inside of external walls when they are doing redecoration works and install an intelligent electric heating system. Heating systems that my business partner and I have installed include Dimplex high heat retention storage heaters (running off the cheap midnight to 4am Octopus Energy electricity tariff), Panasonic air-to-air heat pumps and Powrmatic heat pumps with no external condensers (we've used these in a couple of flats where external units were not permitted). Adding value to PRS assets is not rocket science. These are common sense, long term decisions for a brighter future.

From: Martin Gibbons 05 October 2023 06:53 AM

Martin Gibbons
Several senior politicians from Labour and the Lib Dems have stated that they will re-start the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (introduced by the Conservatives in 2015) for the domestic PRS after next year's general election. The bookies have it as a Labour/Lib Dem coalition win in May'24. I think this is correct.

From: Martin Gibbons 05 October 2023 06:44 AM

Martin Gibbons
Good question, Edwin. My wife monitored it in flat that we have and it cost £40 pa in electricity to run the Nuaire PIV unit. We felt that was proportionate for the multiple benefits that mechanical ventilation delivers to both the tenant and our building.

From: Martin Gibbons 01 October 2023 17:33 PM

Martin Gibbons
There is an answer for those unusual tenants who wish to keep their windows closed during winter months to retain heat and for security & safety: We've had our electrician install Nuaire Drimaster 'Heat' Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) units in all of our rental houses and flats. Our Building Manager has a rolling calendar reminder to change the filters every 3 years (Nuaire states the filters last 5 years but from our testing this is incorrect). We have fitted locked covers over the ON/OFF switches so our tenants cannot accidently turn off the PIV units. These switch covers are from a great company called Security Safety Products. Tenants are now delighted and their washing and bathroom towels dry within hours, no condensation on the windows and no damp/mould in the corners of rooms/backs of wardrobes. Simple, low-cost PIV mechanical ventilation is the fit-and-forget solution to damp and mould. It's not rocket science.

From: Martin Gibbons 30 September 2023 19:15 PM

Martin Gibbons
BTW there’s NO shortage of air -to-air heat pump installers. We’ve just taken out an old gas boiler/wet rad heating system in an office we rent out and swapped it to Panasonic air-con splits. There was no problem getting 3x Panasonic approved installers out to provide sensible quotes and install timing.

From: Martin Gibbons 29 September 2023 06:49 AM

Martin Gibbons
Perhaps the leaders of our FE colleges and universities should cancel a few Gender Studies courses and divert the lecturer/classroom resources to electrical and mechanical engineering.

From: Martin Gibbons 29 September 2023 06:46 AM

Martin Gibbons
With the high cost of home heating oil, and particularly the enormous fluctuations in its price, you would have to be an idiot to invest in a brand new oil-fired boiler if your current machine is beyond economic repair. For our off-grid holiday cottage in the Isle of Wight we went over Dimplex night storage heaters several years ago and haven't looked back. The Octopus Energy cheap rate electricity from midnight to 4am is a game changer. All Sunak's ridiculous U-turn does is delay the orderly transition to intelligent electric home heating that had been working so well. The guy is a fool.

From: Martin Gibbons 28 September 2023 08:41 AM

Martin Gibbons
Dawes, give it a rest mate. Why are you always moaning about EPCs and the UK's minimum energy efficiency standard for landlords? We all think you may have some very energy wasteful houses and flats in your portfolio. Is that right? Are you concerned about what the new Labour/Lib Dem government will do about that in May'24? You can tell us - this is a safe space.

From: Martin Gibbons 27 September 2023 06:57 AM

Martin Gibbons
Dawes, give it a rest mate.

From: Martin Gibbons 27 September 2023 06:53 AM

Martin Gibbons
It therefore seems obscene that Sunak has just disbanded the national Energy Efficiency Taskforce (packed with experts and brain power) only months after the Conservative government had started it. Sunak has created a Home Heat Famine in the UK in the same way as the state caused food famine in Russia in 1920. The Conservative’s MEES Standards on steadily improving the most energy wasteful house and flats in the UK was working very well. It’s criminal madness that Sunak stopped it to try to win a few ‘Uxbridge inspired’ votes in the May’24 general election.

From: Martin Gibbons 26 September 2023 07:32 AM

Martin Gibbons
Ellie, good point. That’s why the Conservative’s 2015 MEES standards have the sensible self-exemption register for landlords who have made reasonable efforts to improve their unit. Many commercial and domestic landlords have used the self-exemption register. It was all working very well and I anticipate it will be again from May’24.

From: Martin Gibbons 25 September 2023 08:00 AM

Martin Gibbons
Yep, I don’t think Labour likes 8 million poor people living in fuel poverty. Sorting out the remaining energy wasteful PRS houses and flats will be BACK ON after the May’24 election. They will push out the deadline, I’ve read that Grade D by 2028 and Grade C by 2030 is their preference.

From: Martin Gibbons 25 September 2023 07:37 AM

Martin Gibbons
Labour and Lib Dem have both come out publicly to say that improving the remaining energy wasteful houses and flats in the PRS will be BACK ON if/when they secure a coalition government in May’24.

From: Martin Gibbons 25 September 2023 07:32 AM

Martin Gibbons
Labour and the Lib Dem’s have already announced that they will keep with the Conversative’s long term proposal (until last Wednesday) to move to EPC Grade C for the PRS. The Conservative’s Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard has been working extremely well for years and thousands of domestic, commercial and social rental sector landlords have invested to make their units fit-for-purpose. There will be a Labour/Lib Dem coalition government from May’24 and EPC Grade C will be back on. In the meantime, No UK lending institution will change their current requirement for Grade C for domestic lending and Grade B for commercial lending.

From: Martin Gibbons 25 September 2023 07:11 AM

Martin Gibbons
So - Let’s continue to have the most energy wasteful housing in the developed world. Let’s keep having 8 million UK families living in fuel poverty - that means they don’t turn on the heating at all winter long - like the Middle Ages. Let’s keep spending £37 billion of tax payers money (that’s real cash NOT spent on filling potholes and NHS) on the Energy Price Guarantee every time there is world energy shock. Let’s keep on installing brand new fossil fuel burning machines in our homes pushing out CO2 pollution for the next 15-20 years. Causing more challenges for my two children. Let’s have a General Election ASAP

From: Martin Gibbons 20 September 2023 18:10 PM

Martin Gibbons
We've had a handyman install Nuaire Drimaster 'Heat' Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) units in all of our rental houses and flats. Our Building Manager has a rolling calendar reminder to change the filters every 3 years (Nuaire states the filters last 5 years but from our testing this is incorrect). We have fitted locked covers over the ON/OFF switches so our tenants cannot accidently turn off the PIV units. The 'dementia proof' switch covers are from a great company called Security Safety Products. Tenants are now delighted and they washing and bathroom towels dry within hours, no condensation on the windows and no damp/mould in the corners of rooms/backs of wardrobes. Simple, low-cost PIV mechanical ventilation is the fit-and-forget solution to damp and mould. It's not rocket science.

From: Martin Gibbons 08 September 2023 13:37 PM

Martin Gibbons
Some excellent research from Rightmove. So encouraging to see that the market is now firmly turning away from energy wasteful houses and flats. As a chartered surveyor, commercial landlord and domestic landlord I have been very pleased with the EPC national measurement system, introduced over 15 years ago. You can't manage what you don't measure. The transparent, public national database is the envy of other countries. Not since William the Conqueror has such a comprehensive national building database been produced. It helped identify all the clad high-rise blocks of flats after the Grenfell fire within hours of the disaster. I have been delighted with the accuracy of the many EPCs I have commissioned for myself and clients over the years. A domestic EPC once every 10 years for £65 is a straightforward calculation that is greater helped if the landlord provides building information to the energy assessor. Some landlords still don't get that. As with any construction project further advice from chartered surveyors and other professionals should be sought before improvement works start. It was never expected that a £65 certificate would give you ALL the answers. It's a vital first-step, like having a £65 blood-pressure test at your GP is a first step to health improvement. It is well known that the UK has an energy wasteful private rental sector, with many units not 'fit for purpose'. The EPC national measurement system and the Conservative's excellent Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) has already directly resulted in thousands of houses and flats being improved. We now need to stick with this excellent programme and thousands more PRS tenants will be lifted out of fuel poverty by the end of this decade. It really is working.

From: Martin Gibbons 05 September 2023 08:22 AM

Martin Gibbons
The Conservative's Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) legislation (2015), sensibly phased in from 2018 for new lettings and this April 2023 for continuing lettings, has been incredibly successful in helping landlords (both in the private and social sectors) steadily upgrade their rental units. Not a single EPC Grade F or G house or flat (the most energy wasteful and expensive to heat housing in the country) is now being lawfully rented out. That's a massive Tory & British Success Story. It now seems sensible and proportionate to steadily lift the MEES Standard to EPC Grade D. Grade D is simply the average EPC Grade for the UK. We can now get the PRS up to the average national energy efficiency standard. Almost all rental units in the social rental sector have already been upgraded to EPC Grade D and above. They've been getting on with making their units better for years. 2028 seems like a realistic target for MEES Grade D for both new lettings and continuing lettings. A small but vocal minority of domestic landlords have chosen not to improve their assets by installing wall and loft insulation and an efficient central heating system. It's their energy wasteful houses and flats that are not 'fit for purpose' and that are giving professional domestic landlords a very bad reputation in allowing tenants to live in fuel poverty. With immediate effect the domestic EPC calculation should be bought in line with the commercial EPCs so that the main EPC coloured graph and Grade shows the carbon dioxide pollution calculation and not a running cost calculation. This very simple change will then favour the steady transition over to low carbon electric heating such as the brilliant Dimplex Quantum heaters and air-to-air and air-to-water heat pumps. The running cost EPC Grade can still appear on the certificate to help landlords understand if their tenants are in fuel poverty or not. Now is the right time to up-date the domestic EPC calculation methodology because over the last 15 years since the EPC national measurement system was launched we have developed a massive amount of 100% renewable electricity generation from North Sea wind farms and the HVAC industry has designed excellent low running cost electric heating systems for domestic housing. All very simple, all very doable and really no drama for domestic landlords who have been steadily improving their assets over many years.

From: Martin Gibbons 02 September 2023 10:32 AM

Martin Gibbons
So the story is that 'intelligent' Liz Kershaw has chosen not to steadily reinvest some of her rental income back into this asset to ensure that it's fit for purpose. I wonder if she has upgraded the outside privy and the coal burning range in the kitchen. If she is having to evict her tenants I suspect this unit is EPC Grade F or G. You've got to try very hard to have a house that energy wasteful. No insulation in the loft, no insulation (EWI or IWI) in the front and rear walls and 'dumb' electric heating running off super expensive day-time electricity. This 'young couple' must have been in serious fuel poverty; I hope they didn't have any children. These are the FACTS. Reading some of the comments on X, Kershaw is not 'trolled' (what a puerile 'Daily Mail' thing to write). Her rant is simply destroyed by intelligent and rational comments from thousands of normal people. Perhaps Kershaw should get into a business that she really understands like DJ'ing at parties.

From: Martin Gibbons 30 August 2023 07:16 AM

Martin Gibbons
So the heading could have read "A staggering 86% of tenants want to know about the building's EPC, winter heating bills and energy efficiency" What's the next story - "tenants do not ask about gas and electricity safety certificates, so therefore they don't care about safety, so QED let's get rid of these safety standards that have saved countless lives". How about - "tenant's don't ask about Building Regulations controlling the structural integrity of buildings , so therefore that don't care and let's get rid of all these chapters of the UK's Building Regs Standards."

From: Martin Gibbons 21 August 2023 06:53 AM

Martin Gibbons
I'm a chartered surveyor, commercial property landlord and domestic property landlord. EPCs are MOST CERTAINLY 'fit for purpose', it's the energy wasteful housing stock (mostly PRS) that is not fit for purpose. It's now widely reported that more than 25% of families in the PRS live in sub-human fuel poverty because their landlords have chosen not to insulate the walls, loft and roof of these units. The Carbonlaces 'research' has been comprehensively picked apart by the professional surveying community. Anyone with any critical intelligence realises that an ACTUAL tenant in an EPC Grade G flat would be using 344% LESS energy than the EPC assumes because an EPC is an ASSET RATING - it has been for 15 years and this is the correct methodology. An ASSET rating assumes that the tenant heats every room to 20 degrees all winter. Of course if you are in a shockingly energy wasteful Grade G flat only a millionaire could afford to heat the whole flat correctly. So what happens? These tenants UNDER HEAT their families by 344% every winter. At most they heat one room and normally they cannot afford to heat even that because the property has NO insulation. The energy assessors I use for my properties are highly professional, attend regular training up-dates, and are routinely & thoroughly audited by the Government. As with any measurement its more accurate if the building owner provides data on their building to the energy assessor. Just like a check-up with a Doctor is more accurate if you talk to the Doctor and provide him with some information. The robust EPC system for commercial rental buildings has been tried and tested for years. That's why there are more then 1 million commercial EPCs on the public database. That's why they are used and relied on by every UK bank for loan security purpose. That's why they are used by RICS Registered Valuers for valuation reports. It's a national system that's working and is the envy of the rest of the world. The 21 million domestic EPCs and the Tory's super simple and effective Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) means that not a single energy wasteful EPC Grade F or G house, flat or commercial unit has been let to a new tenant since 2018. EPCs and MEES are working, the numbers don't lie. That's why good, forward thinking landlords have been installing LED, electric heat pumps and insulation for YEARS. It's the moaning landlords who have failed to invest in making their product fit-for-purpose that are now getting all upset. We now need to change the main EPC Grade on domestic EPCs to report the CO2 pollution figures as the main coloured graph. This data is already reported half way down the EPC certificate so it just needs to be bought to the top of the EPC. Very simple. This is how's it's been for commercial EPCs for the last 15 years. This would then encourage landlords to install intelligent, efficient electric heating systems in conjunction with insulation to walls, loft and roof. That's what our UK housing stock desperately needs. EPCs are an excellent national measurement system and folk need to focus on making their buildings better rather than trying to find a scapegoat.

From: Martin Gibbons 12 August 2023 11:12 AM

Martin Gibbons
This is a great idea and I'm pleased that so many organisations have joined together to help the thousands of domestic landlords make their rental units 'fit-for-possible' and future ready. The Government's £35 billion Energy Price Guarantee bale-out went straight into the bank accounts of world's largest producers of natural gas - the states of Qatar, Iran, Russia and Norway. REAL MONEY that's left UK bank accounts and that will never be spent on the NHS, schools, pot-holes, lower taxes et al. Let's not kid ourselves, this happened because millions of PRS houses and flats are not insulated to modern standards - they are not fit-for-purpose. I'm an out-and-out capitalist but even I can see that the Social Rental Sector has been insulting their units like crazy over the last 10 years but the PRS has chosen not to. Us private sector landlords can't say we didn't have the capital - we've had historic low interest rates since 2009. We've had almost free money for the last 13 years, but have we chosen to invest in making our 'product' better for the tenants who actually pay us? Car makers have made their product better, mobile phone makers have made their product better. The PRS has not made their product better. The Government's consultation paper on moving the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) from EPC Grade E (where's it's been since 2018) to Grade C suggested a target date of 2028. I think it would be sensible to set the next MEES standard as Grade D as from 2028. Let's do this transition one-step at a time. Now is also the right time to change the main domestic EPC measurement (the graph at the top of the certificate) to be the CO2 pollution measurement (also called the Environmental Impact) and bring it into line with the 1 million commercial EPCs on the nation's public database. We can still have the old running cost measurement as the secondary EPC Grade. By moving to measure CO2 pollution instead of running cost, EPCs and MEES will then encourage the transition over to intelligent electric heating & insulation. This will then move us away from burning imported fossil fuel gas from some of the most unsavoury countries in the world.

From: Martin Gibbons 09 August 2023 07:15 AM

Martin Gibbons
Roof mounted solar panels, for almost everyone, are a crazy expenditure. You are purchasing and having to operate for years to come, a 'DIY Power Station' located in the most inaccessible part of a building. I have a conservatory and the glass roof becomes filthy every 12 months. It's pretty expensive to have it cleaned once a year, whilst still adhering to Working at Height H&S Regs. Solar panels are black so they don't show the dirt, but they get as dirty (and therefore lose efficiency) as rapidly as any conservatory roof. Based on any metric you care to mention investing in insulation to reduce the amount of energy you require (negawatts) will always beat a DIY Power Station. Trying to make your own electricity on a stupidly small scale is a fools game. BUT if you really want a solar panel buy one of Helimotion's ground mounted solar PV arrays that move and track the sun. Very flash. I know the CEO of Helimotion and she has developed a great product. It sits in your garden so you can actually maintain it with a bucket and sponge.

From: Martin Gibbons 05 August 2023 14:01 PM

Martin Gibbons
I wonder if Mr Curtis has actually spoken to a commercial landlord? I'm a commercial landlord and far from 'hitting the sector' EPCs and MEES has bought tremendous benefits for landlords who actually think its a good idea to improve their product over the long term. Over the past 15 years some 1 million accurate commercial EPCs have been placed on the public national database. This comprehensive and reliable national database is the envy of other countries, so I read in a recent article in Property Week. Since 2008, landlords now have a reliable, statutory benchmark to demonstrate to our tenants, banks and the Government how efficient and low-carbon our built assets are. EPC Grade B by 2030 is absolutely achievable for just about every commercial rental unit in the the UK. EPC and MEES have driven the widespread roll-out of LED lighting and electric air-to-air source heat pumps for winter heating and summer cooling. We've just invested in a new insulated roofing system for an industrial unit we own. This has secured us an excellent long-term letting from a tenant who wanted a low-running cost, warm shed and who DEMANDED an EPC Grade B to independently prove that our unit is fit-for-purpose and future-proof. EPCs and MEES are a British Success Story. A tiny number of landlords, who refuse to plan for the future, still don't get this.

From: Martin Gibbons 05 August 2023 13:35 PM

Martin Gibbons
Be very, very careful what you wish for, Tricia. 15 years ago our Civil Servants chose a 'running cost' calculation for the primary EPC Grade on the 21 million certificates. Absolutely the CORRECT decision and it remains so today. Our tenants don't give a monkeys about the invisible CO2 gas but they do care about if they will be able to afford to heat themselves and their children every single winter. Would you agree with that? If you want a CO2 pollution EPC Grade 'algorithm' it's ALWAYS been included in the £75 survey and certificate - it's under the heading - Impact on the Environment. Not a lot of people know that. So, do your really want the primary EPC Grade to be based on CO2 pollution? If you mean that then all of our modern, gas fired combi boilers will have to scrapped. What you're proposing is madness, Tricia.

From: Martin Gibbons 25 July 2023 07:54 AM

Martin Gibbons
Oh dear Colin, you seem to have totally lost it with your disgusting language. None of us have any respect for posts like that. Try to maintain some self-control and appreciate that others can hold a different point of view to your own.

From: Martin Gibbons 24 July 2023 22:53 PM

Martin Gibbons
Wake up guys. The Energy Price Guarantee from the nanny state will cost me and other corporate tax payers £37 billion in REAL money. I don’t want to pay for this state subsidy for having the most energy wasteful housing stock in Europe. And I don’t want to pay it again and again when the next war starts, next unforeseen disaster occurs. If we make our buildings better and fit for purpose this risk goes again. Please tell me that you ‘get this’

From: Martin Gibbons 24 July 2023 09:04 AM

Martin Gibbons
Well don’t read my posts, Little Pete. You don’t have to.

From: Martin Gibbons 24 July 2023 08:55 AM

Martin Gibbons
Moan, moan, moan. Change the record guys! If you’ve failed to steadily reinvest into your assets and they are STILL energy wasteful and not fit for purpose you really shouldn’t really be a landlord. First Law of investing - give something back to your asset to maintain its quality. Second Law of investing there is no such thing as ‘passive income’. PI is a lie.

From: Martin Gibbons 24 July 2023 08:20 AM

Martin Gibbons
Mr Bobby, NO system in the world can work if both parties act together to break the law, as you seem to be suggesting. Do you also recommend cheating at golf?

From: Martin Gibbons 24 July 2023 08:03 AM

Martin Gibbons
Tricia, I think you’ll find it’s the thousands of PRS houses and flats that are still energy wasteful are the ones ‘not fit for purpose’. The minority of ‘head in the sand’ landlords who have failed to regularly invest back into their assets are the ones causing hassle for the rest of us.

From: Martin Gibbons 24 July 2023 07:57 AM

Martin Gibbons
Listen Little Pete, I can't believe you think our Government has not given Landlords enough 'Guidelines' to reduce the energy waste in the PRS. How much nanny state help do you want? Just invest the time to improve your professional landlord knowledge and actually read the MEES Regs. That well written document is packed with all the answers you will ever need. You add insulation to your units' walls, loft and roof. You install a modern, efficient heating system. You clip in LED light bulbs. How difficult is that? The MEES Regs came out way back in 2015. That upgraded the very worst houses and flats from 2018 - 2023. Sensible and it worked. The Government wants all rental houses/flats to be EPC Grade C (that's going up just one Grade from the current national average of Grade D) by 2028. That's 13 years notice. I can see why a minority number of 'don't get it' landlords want to relax the pace. 13 years notice is no where near enough time to insult a loft and install central heating!! Come on Little Pete, your arguments make no sense and have been blown out of the water by the eyewatering tax-payer energy subsidies dished out last winter because of the War.

From: Martin Gibbons 23 July 2023 09:54 AM

Martin Gibbons
That’s a very narrow view, William. Thousands of landlords have upgraded millions of houses and flats over the past 15 years. Reducing energy waste and energy bills. Wonder if that would have happened without EPCs and more importantly the Tory’s simple and effective Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES). Our counter-parts in the social rental sector have really made their buildings better over the past few years and they’re not even subject to MEES. Some short sighted PSR landlords now need to sprint to keep up.

From: Martin Gibbons 23 July 2023 06:21 AM

Martin Gibbons
Simply not true, Chris. The £75 once every 10 years EPC is very accurate based on the inputs that landlords and home owners provide to the assessor. Every landlord is quite at liberty to use a full SAP software produced EPC. Not a problem. You’ll need to pay for an architect to calculate the U-values of the building fabric, commission an intrusive air pressure test and carry out a retrospective full lighting design. Cost for that little lot £1,500, then it will be a ‘super’ accurate EPC. Is that what you want? Be careful what you wish for! That’s what structural building surveys cost so we can take EPCs in that direction, but not sure other landlords would agree with you.

From: Martin Gibbons 23 July 2023 06:11 AM

Martin Gibbons
But the market is moving at its own pace and it’s accelerating. Tenants and banks don’t want to rent or invest in energy wasteful houses and flats (EPC Grade D and worse). A cold tenant in fuel poverty is bad for business. One of my company’s investors just found Knight Frank in London refusing to take on a flat of his for management because it was not yet EPC Grade C. So he’s had a draft predicted EPC prepared and is insulating one main wall and installing an efficient, ‘fit for purpose’ central heating system. The 22 million EPCs on the public national database have become increasing accurate over the past 15 years and us landlords ignore them at our financial peril.

From: Martin Gibbons 23 July 2023 05:03 AM

Martin Gibbons
Nice one, George. Electricity is expensive so your tenant will now enjoy lower energy bills which in turn makes paying your rent more likely. My wife and I have just upgraded a rental flat we've bought in Slough. Out went the dumb electric wall heaters and in went Powrmatic air-con heat pumps - a unit in the living room and units in the 2 bedrooms. These units do not have an external condenser so they are perfect for flats. Our electrician just had to drill 2 vents holes through the external walls, which the freeholder granted consent for. This upgrade has got the 'running cost' EPC Grade up to C and also the 'CO2 pollution' EPC Grade to C as well. We are hedging that the Government may switch to this measurement over the next 10 years. Another flat sorted and our future tenant will also have the air-con option in the hot summer months.

From: Martin Gibbons 21 July 2023 07:06 AM

Martin Gibbons
Simply not true, Tricia. A £75 once every 10 years domestic EPC tells you TWO things. The main EPC Grade is a 'running cost' calculation mainly telling you if it will be expensive or incredibly expensive to fully heat the house/flat through the winter months. That's the correct measure for the vast majority of owners and occupiers because we care more about MONEY and not so much about CO2 pollution. BUT if you want a 'carbon' calculation as well just scroll down your EPC and there under the heading - Impact on the environment - is the building's CO2 pollution calculation. Often it's a different EPC Grade because, at the moment, burning gas for winter heating can be cheaper than using electricity. But from a CO2 pollution perspective gas heating is harmful to our atmosphere but the UK's electricity supply gets greener & greener by the month as we open more massive off-shore wind farms in the North Sea. Electricity is the FUTURE - have you noticed more and more electric cars on the road? For £75 you really do get TWO calculations and TWO separate EPC Grades. That's what you wanted, isn't it? EPCs have become increasingly accurate over the past 15 years, just as any new national system improves over time. They are now over 21 million domestic EPCs on the public database and they have already driven massive improvement in our nation's building stock. Or you can put your head in the sand and pretend that we don't have shocking fuel poverty and a climate that's falling apart.

From: Martin Gibbons 20 July 2023 07:21 AM

Martin Gibbons
Are we still going on and on about EPCs? How dull. This argument is well and truly over. If landlords haven’t sorted out their energy wasteful investment properties by now, God help them! It makes absolutely NO financial sense for our tenants to use their limited money to buy Norwegian and Qatari gas when they need that cash to pay our rent. I guess investors with energy wasteful units still have outside loos and open coal fires for their tenants. This diminishing number of 'left behind' landlords must have totally failed to re-invest into their assets over a long period of time. We’ve all had years and years notice on this one. Running cost calculation EPCs have been part of the letting landscape for over 15 years. The UK MEES Regs have been in place for over 8 years. Not a single very energy wasteful house or flat has been lawfully let to a new tenant for the past 5 years. As for ventilation - that's easy, buy a 'fit and forget' Nuaire Positive Input Ventilation unit and get your handyman to install it for a few £100s. Nuaire have sold 100,000s of these units to the social rental sector and they completely sort out mould, smells, drying towels & clothes. (before some smart alec pipes up, I don't work for Nuaire) Change the EPC record, this argument is old news.

From: Martin Gibbons 10 July 2023 07:02 AM

Martin Gibbons
Come on Paul, I don’t think you can have a moan about EPCs! This argument is well and truly over. If landlords haven’t sorted out their energy wasteful investment properties by now, God help them! It makes absolutely no financial sense for our tenants to use their limited money to buy Norwegian and Qatari gas when they need that cash to pay our rent. We’ve all had years and years notice on this one. Running cost calculation EPCs have been part of the letting landscape for over 15 years. The UK MEES Regs have been in place for over 8 years. Not a single very energy wasteful house or flat has been lawfully let to a new tenant for the past 5 years. Change the record mate, this argument is old news.

From: Martin Gibbons 08 July 2023 11:11 AM

Martin Gibbons
Great research from Handelsbanken. Sounds like the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) is continuing to work extremely well. Landlords, both large and small, are making sensible investments to make their assets long-term future proof. Thanks to MEES and thousands of landlords making their buildings better, not a single very energy wasteful domestic or commercial rental has been lawfully leased to a new tenant since 2018. MEES is a Conservative flag-ship policy and over the last 8 years it has helped thousands out of fuel poverty and has kept the UK's 1 million commercial buildings moving towards reduced CO2 pollution. Only a complete fool would own & occupy an energy wasteful home and for years and years it has been clear that owning energy wasteful domestic rentals makes no financial sense to a long-term investor. A pat on the back for the Conservative government.

From: Martin Gibbons 03 July 2023 06:53 AM

Martin Gibbons
EPCs are another British success story and the envy of the world. 21 million domestic EPCs and 1 million commercial EPCs all on a transparent public database that worked on day one in 2008 and still works brilliantly today. MEES has driven massive improvement in the nations rental stock. The most expensive to heat homes in the UK - Grade F and G were all outlawed way back in 2018. Lofts have now been insulated with 2 layers of Rockwool, cavities insulated, lower running cost central heating installed, LED lights installed all thanks to the simple and accurate EPCs that cost a landlord £65 to obtain once every 10 years.

From: Martin Gibbons 24 June 2023 10:40 AM

Martin Gibbons
If the tenants pay ALL of their rent on-time, every time - respect our property - and respect their neighbours - there shouldn't be any problem at all. Our tenants are not allowed to visit Tesco and walk out with a load of unpaid groceries - in fact Tesco hires a military-grade security force (with stab vests and looking like SO19) to protect their stores and no-one bats an eye-lid. Virgin Media routinely cuts-off thousands of households per month for not paying their bills and no-one bats an eye-lid. Ahh I was forgetting Tesco and Virgin Media are massive, untouchable corporations.

From: Martin Gibbons 06 June 2023 06:45 AM

Martin Gibbons
It's great news that so many landlords on LandlordToday have posted that they've already sold some of their rental units. I've counted at least ten posts from landlords that have sold. Clever them. Looks like they've timed their exit very well.

From: Martin Gibbons 05 June 2023 07:08 AM

Martin Gibbons
Another senior industry figure suggesting that now is the right time to sell and clear your chips from the table.

From: Martin Gibbons 02 June 2023 06:32 AM

Martin Gibbons
Looks like those landlords who have been repeatedly saying 'I'm going to sell up' have now officially missed the boat. Over a year ago I was urging those landlords thinking of leaving our sector to SELL NOW. It now appears incredibly difficult for buyers seeking 25 year mortgages to secure finance if the property is an energy wasteful EPC Grade D or Grade E. The problem is massively compounded if the prospective borrower doesn't have a two year set of perfect bank statements to present to the lender. But there will always be people who don't wish to HEAR certain advice and prefer to remain in their comfortable echo chamber. The Market is now removing their wealth from them.

From: Martin Gibbons 01 June 2023 07:53 AM

Martin Gibbons
If you are thinking of closing down your rental business SELL NOW whilst some buyers can still get a mortgage on your buildings with EPCs of Grade D and E. My nephew has just had a purchase fall through in Nottingham because he can’t get a new 25 year mortgage on an EPC Grade E house that he and his wife wanted to buy. Or get an up to date DRAFT domestic EPC on your rental unit and ask the assessor how to get it up to EPC Grade C via a draft predicted EPC. The answer is almost always put some insulation on the walls, in the loft or roof build-up and install an efficient heating system. It’s not an Elon Musk mission.

From: Martin Gibbons 31 May 2023 06:36 AM

Martin Gibbons
I would recommend selling domestic rental units in Scotland and placing the capital in tax free Whisky Cask investments or the low cost FTSE 250 tracker fund from Vanguard.

From: Martin Gibbons 25 May 2023 08:04 AM

Martin Gibbons
The new MEES Bill is already speeding its way through Parliament. The Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill 2022-23 had its first reading in March this year and the second reading is in November this year. According to my local MP the Bill met with complete cross party support a few weeks ago. The 8 million+ voters living in fuel poverty and the £29 billion Government subsidy paid directly to fossil fuel energy producers (which could have paid for the NHS or tax cuts) has focussed the politicians' minds. The Bill confirms the timetable that all energy wasteful EPC Grade D and Grade E rental houses and flats must be upgraded to Grade C by 2028, at the latest. So that gives domestic landlords a full 5 years to insulate the walls, loft or roof and install lower running cost heating systems into their rental units. It would seem a sensible hedge to invest in an All Electric heating systems (within the well insulated property) because CO2 pollution tax and price rises are clearly on the horizon as we decarbonise the UK Electricity Grid at pace and scale (25% of our nation's electricity demand already met by renewables after 23 years of ringing the British Isles in the world's largest wind farms). Landlords need to get an up-to-date draft 'as is' EPC and then a draft 'predicated' EPC showing the best pathway to reach EPC Grade C. All very simple and easy to do when the unit is vacant and in-between tenancies. Landlords have 5 years to improve their assets and stop energy waste. I wonder how many will get on with this essential work and how many will be moaning and bleating in January 2028 when they realise that they've done nothing over the next 5 years. Of course, they will blame the Greta, Just Stop Oil, the Government, the Opposition, their customer tenants, their managing agent - in fact everyone except themselves.

From: Martin Gibbons 22 May 2023 07:37 AM

Martin Gibbons
Interesting analysis based on the 21 million domestic EPCs that now sit for all to see on our country’s national database. The real issue here is one mortgagability. The Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill 2022-23 that is now going though Parliament at speed will require all lenders to have an average EPC of Grade C across their loan book. The simple reality is that landlords and owner occupiers just will not be able to mortgage or re-mortgage (or sell to someone who needs a mortgage) unless the asset is EPC Grade C - and it’s happening right now. This isn’t a 2028 or 2030 issue. It’s at 2023 issue. We all need to get an up to date draft ‘as is’ EPC then get a draft predicted EPC showing how to get to Grade C and then do the upgrade work. That’s insulate the walls, loft or roof and install a lower running cost heating system. Installing a new heating system running off electricity would seem a sensible hedge against tax rises on CO2 pollution producing gas boilers. This is also a clever hedge for when the EPC calculation moves from the current running cost calculation to a CO2 pollution calculation.

From: Martin Gibbons 20 May 2023 11:08 AM

Martin Gibbons
Type into your browser - bills.parliament.uk/bills/3231 Bill 50: Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill 2022-23. Had the first reading in the House a few weeks ago and second reading is in November. Seeking PRS EPC Grade D and Grade E houses and flats to be outlawed by 2028, latest. No falsehoods, Tricia, just facts about what's really going on.

From: Martin Gibbons 17 May 2023 13:36 PM

Martin Gibbons
I've just given the Bill a quick scan on the Gov website and it confirms the Conservative Government's intention that all PRS stock will have to meet the Decent Homes Standards. This confirms the 'direction of travel' of EPC Grade C as a minimum for all PRS houses and flats. This spells the end of expensive to heat/fuel poverty EPC Grade D and Grade E housing units. When I checked with my local MP she confirmed that The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Bill is now almost confirmed as Law, with all domestic rental stock required to to EPC Grade C by December 2028, latest. So we've got 5 1/2 years to insulate the walls, loft or roof and install a cost effective heating system into our units. This is clearly best done when the unit is vacant and in-between tenancies. The American Petroleum Institute's Stanford research paper from 1968, confirming that burning fossil fuels causes climate change, would suggest that investing in a new gas combi boiler is not a wise move. Dimplex Quantum electric night storage heaters or Sinclair electric air-con splits (that provide winter heating via simple internal cassettes) seem like the obvious way forward for us. I've commissioned up-to-date draft EPCs from my energy assessor and asked him prepare draft predicted EPCs to find the least expensive pathway to make my rental units both EPC Grade C AND All Electric. It's a cost but so far all pretty straightforward

From: Martin Gibbons 17 May 2023 06:25 AM

Martin Gibbons
I've just given the Bill a quick scan on the Gov website and it confirms the Conservative Government's intention that all PRS stock will have to meet the Decent Homes Standards. This confirms the 'direction of travel' of EPC Grade C as a minimum for all PRS houses and flats. This spells the end of expensive to heat/fuel poverty EPC Grade D and Grade E housing units. When I checked with my local MP she confirmed that The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Bill is now almost confirmed as Law, with all domestic rental stock required to to EPC Grade C by December 2028, latest. So we've got 5 1/2 years to insulate the walls, loft or roof and install a cost effective heating system into our units. This is clearly best done when the unit is vacant and in-between tenancies. The American Petroleum Institute's Stanford research paper from 1968, confirming that burning fossil fuels causes climate change, would suggest that investing in a new gas combi boiler is not a wise move. Dimplex Quantum electric night storage heaters or Sinclair electric air-con splits (that provide winter heating via simple internal cassettes) seem like the obvious way forward for us. I've commissioned up-to-date draft EPCs from my energy assessor and asked him prepare draft predicted EPCs to find the least expensive pathway to make my rental units both EPC Grade C AND All Electric. It's a cost but so far all pretty straightforward

From: Martin Gibbons 17 May 2023 06:25 AM

Martin Gibbons
I've just given the Bill a quick scan on the Gov website and it confirms the Conservative Government's intention that all PRS stock will have to meet the Decent Homes Standards. This confirms the 'direction of travel' of EPC Grade C as a minimum for all PRS houses and flats. This spells the end of expensive to heat/fuel poverty EPC Grade D and Grade E housing units. When I checked with my local MP she confirmed that The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Bill is now almost confirmed as Law, with all domestic rental stock required to to EPC Grade C by December 2028, latest. So we've got 5 1/2 years to insulate the walls, loft or roof and install a cost effective heating system into our units. This is clearly best done when the unit is vacant and in-between tenancies. The American Petroleum Institute's Stanford research paper from 1968, confirming that burning fossil fuels causes climate change, would suggest that investing in a new gas combi boiler is not a wise move. Dimplex Quantum electric night storage heaters or Sinclair electric air-con splits (that provide winter heating via simple internal cassettes) seem like the obvious way forward for us. I've commissioned up-to-date draft EPCs from my energy assessor and asked him prepare draft predicted EPCs to find the least expensive pathway to make my rental units both EPC Grade C AND All Electric. It's a cost but so far all pretty straightforward

From: Martin Gibbons 17 May 2023 06:25 AM

Martin Gibbons
I've just given the Bill a quick scan on the Gov website and it confirms the Conservative Government's intention that all PRS stock will have to meet the Decent Homes Standards. This confirms the 'direction of travel' of EPC Grade C as a minimum for all PRS houses and flats. This spells the end of expensive to heat/fuel poverty EPC Grade D and Grade E housing units. When I checked with my local MP she confirmed that The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Bill is now almost confirmed as Law, with all domestic rental stock required to to EPC Grade C by December 2028, latest. So we've got 5 1/2 years to insulate the walls, loft or roof and install a cost effective heating system into our units. This is clearly best done when the unit is vacant and in-between tenancies. The American Petroleum Institute's Stanford research paper from 1968, confirming that burning fossil fuels causes climate change, would suggest that investing in a new gas combi boiler is not a wise move. Dimplex Quantum electric night storage heaters or Sinclair electric air-con splits (that provide winter heating via simple internal cassettes) seem like the obvious way forward for us. I've commissioned up-to-date draft EPCs from my energy assessor and asked him prepare draft predicted EPCs to find the least expensive pathway to make my rental units both EPC Grade C AND All Electric. It's a cost but so far all pretty straightforward

From: Martin Gibbons 17 May 2023 06:24 AM

Martin Gibbons
I've just given the Bill a quick scan on the Gov website and it confirms the Conservative Government's intention that all PRS stock will have to meet the Decent Homes Standards. This confirms the 'direction of travel' of EPC Grade C as a minimum for all PRS houses and flats. This spells the end of expensive to heat/fuel poverty EPC Grade D and Grade E housing units. When I checked with my local MP she confirmed that The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Bill is now almost confirmed as Law, with all domestic rental stock required to to EPC Grade C by December 2028, latest. So we've got 5 1/2 years to insulate the walls, loft or roof and install a cost effective heating system into our units. This is clearly best done when the unit is vacant and in-between tenancies. The American Petroleum Institute's Stanford research paper from 1968, confirming that burning fossil fuels causes climate change, would suggest that investing in a new gas combi boiler is not a wise move. Dimplex Quantum electric night storage heaters or Sinclair electric air-con splits (that provide winter heating via simple internal cassettes) seem like the obvious way forward for us. I've commissioned up-to-date draft EPCs from my energy assessor and asked him prepare draft predicted EPCs to find the least expensive pathway to make my rental units both EPC Grade C AND All Electric. It's a cost but so far all pretty straightforward

From: Martin Gibbons 17 May 2023 06:24 AM

Martin Gibbons
I've just given the Bill a quick scan on the Gov website and it confirms the Conservative Government's intention that all PRS stock will have to meet the Decent Homes Standards. This confirms the direction of travel of EPC Grade C as a minimum for all PRS houses and flats. This spells the end of expensive to heat/fuel poverty EPC Grade D and Grade E housing units. When I checked with my local MP she confirmed that The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Bill is now almost confirmed as Law, with all domestic rental stock required to to EPC Grade C by December 2028, latest. So we've got 5 1/2 years to insulate the walls, loft or roof and install an cost effective heating system into our units. This is clearly best done when the unit is vacant and in-between tenancies. The American Petroleum Institute's Stanford research paper from 1968, confirming that burning fossil fuels causes climate change, would suggest that investing in a new gas combi boiler is not a wise move. Dimplex Quantum electric night storage heaters or Sinclair electric air-con splits (that provide winter heating via simple internal cassettes) seem like the obvious way forward for us.

From: Martin Gibbons 17 May 2023 06:11 AM

Martin Gibbons
Very interesting data from NRLA. In my experience of purchasing some additional units over the past 12 months all of the sellers I've dealt with have been landlords in the 1-9 unit sector. I would imagine that this forms the bulk of the 33% of NRLA members considering sales at the moment. From anecdotal evidence I believe that the 10% of landlords now looking to expand their portfolios fall into the 10 plus unit sector. I think we are witnessing a market correction - nothing more than that. I've seen this before in other businesses I've owned, where I've seen amateur café owners sell-up, amateur franchise owners sell-up and amateur FTSE stock owners sell-up. Running a business has been, and will always be, very challenging and is normally a full-time endeavour.

From: Martin Gibbons 12 May 2023 06:55 AM

Martin Gibbons
Sounds very positive. The MEES Regs (bought in 8 years ago by David Cameron's Conservative Government) have already improved or outlawed the most energy wasteful PRS houses and flats in the UK - EPC Grade F and G. The next MEES Regs will improve or outlaw the other energy wasteful PRS houses and flats - EPC Grade D and E. All very simple and us landlords have been given years and years of prior written notice by the Conservative Government. We need to get a draft predicted EPC (from a good local energy assessor ) showing an EPC Grade C and then insulate the walls, roof and loft, and install an efficient heating system - gas combi or Dimplex night storage heaters. This should be done, ideally, when the house or flat is in-between tenancies - that's why the Government told us to start this process 8 years ago!

From: Martin Gibbons 28 April 2023 07:54 AM

Martin Gibbons
More strong leadership from the Conservative Government to improve the hugely important PRS industry - one of the UK's largest industries. Good to see the Home Secretary listen to the 'customer' side of our industry and nice the Generation Rant recognises that the politicians on the right can actually do something good. This is more evidence, if it were needed, that the Conservative administration are determined to make our PRS industry better and more professional. From seeking to upgrade or outlaw energy wasteful EPC Grade D and Grade E houses & flats to stamping out this sickening 'sex for rent' problem. It's all great leadership.

From: Martin Gibbons 24 April 2023 06:57 AM

Martin Gibbons
Oh, and let's not forget that 13 years of Green Conservative Leadership has ringed the this Sceptred Isle with off-shore wind farms that provided Britain with almost 25% of our total electricity demand last year. It is the Conservative's long-term environmental polices that are weaning us off Russian, Iranian and Qatari gas as we regain our sovereign energy security. Last autumn Britain opened the world's largest off-shore wind farm at Hornsea 2 - 50 miles east of Scarborough. It's a British Success Story and our generation's 'Concorde' engineering achievement. All under the Conservative Government. Who would have thought it?

From: Martin Gibbons 21 April 2023 07:34 AM

Martin Gibbons
I think this is a tad unfair on the current Conservative Government. Under PM David Cameron our Conservative Government bought in the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) in 2015. It was one of the key Conservative Party's manifesto promises in 2019 to get rid of, or improve, Britain's energy wasteful house and flats. The Conservatives have shown great Leadership in this area. The opposition is always banging on about 'showing Leadership' well Cameron et al HAVE by ridding the UK of NOT fit-for-purpose units from the PRS. I'm pleased to say this is working and the direction of travel for EPCs & MEES is super-clear. Their policies encouraged both private and social landlords to improve the worst EPC Grade F and Grade G units and these were totally outlawed between 2018-20. The Conservatives are now pushing hard to improve the PRS further by outlawing energy wasteful EPC Grade D and Grade E houses and flats by 2025. This should be music to the ears for Generation Rant, General Khan and the London Marathon threatening Just Stop Oil. It appears that now only a few immature landlords are burying their heads in the sand on this issue

From: Martin Gibbons 21 April 2023 06:42 AM

Martin Gibbons
Very interesting research from MAD. I'm so pleased that I attended a CPD lecture from Franklins Solicitors in Milton Keynes back in 2015 when the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Regs came into force. The penny dropped that this was the State's direction of travel for sorting out the energy wasteful stock of house/flats in PRS. Thanks to the Conservative Government giving all UK landlords plenty of written notice and encouragement, for the last 8 years I've been improving my commercial and residential rental portfolio. I, like thousands of other landlords, focus investment when the unit is vacant and between tenants. Insulation to the walls (I've used cavity, external and internal over the years), 2x layers of Rockwool in the loft (and the hatch security bolted down so the tenants can't wreck my work) and install a lower running cost heating system (use to be gas combi - more likely these days smart phone controlled night storage heaters on the super low cost night-time tariffs). Throughout the past 8 years I've always had a draft predicted EPC carried out before the works and I and my business partner are constantly speaking to tradesman about better and cheaper upgrade options. It's strange that from MAD's own research only 16% of landlords would pick the brains of professionals. This would seem the obvious thing to do.

From: Martin Gibbons 20 April 2023 06:45 AM

Martin Gibbons
Its a shame that a few residential landlords are giving up on the businesses that could give them income for life. I have a rental unit in Stevenage that had an EPC of Grade E. My tenant had moved out to FTB a brand new flat. I took the opportunity to get my plasterer to install Recticel Instafit slimline insulation panels on all of the internal walls (those on the external elevations) because I couldn't get the other long leaseholders to jointly pay of cavity wall insulation, I took out the old gas combi boiler, that had been giving me problems, and got my electrician to install just two Dimplex Quantum night-storage heaters and an Economy 7 hot water tank. I've had the flat's EPC re-assessed and its now an EPC Grade C. With the proposed MEES legislation soon hitting us this unit is now fit-for-purpose for many years to come. I started the process by getting a draft predicted EPC from my long-time energy assessor who guaranteed the final EPC Grade C outcome. I'm close to signing a long-term lease with a supported living provider who will putting a disabled tenant into this flat. I can't understand why landlords are giving up when the solutions are pretty straight-forward.

From: Martin Gibbons 17 April 2023 09:39 AM

Martin Gibbons
Its a shame that a few residential landlords are giving up on the businesses that could give them income for life. I have a rental unit in Stevenage that had an EPC of Grade E. My tenant had moved out to FTB a brand new flat. I took the opportunity to get my plasterer to install Recticel Instafit slimline insulation panels on all of the internal walls (those on the external elevations) because I couldn't get the other long leaseholders to jointly pay of cavity wall insulation, I took out the old gas combi boiler, that had been giving me problems, and got my electrician to install just two Dimplex Quantum night-storage heaters and an Economy 7 hot water tank. I've had the flat's EPC re-assessed and its now an EPC Grade C. With the proposed MEES legislation soon hitting us this unit is now fit-for-purpose for many years to come. I started the process by getting a draft predicted EPC from my long-time energy assessor who guaranteed the final EPC Grade C outcome. I'm close to signing a long-term lease with a supported living provider who will putting a disabled tenant into this flat. I can't understand why landlords are giving up when the solutions are pretty straight-forward.

From: Martin Gibbons 17 April 2023 09:37 AM

Martin Gibbons
Its a shame that a few residential landlords are giving up on the businesses that could give them income for life. I have a rental unit in Stevenage that had an EPC of Grade E. My tenant had moved out to FTB a brand new flat. I took the opportunity to get my plasterer to install Recticel Instafit slimline insulation panels on all of the internal walls (those on the external elevations) because I couldn't get the other long leaseholders to jointly pay of cavity wall insulation, I took out the old gas combi boiler, that had been giving me problems, and got my electrician to install just two Dimplex Quantum night-storage heaters and an Economy 7 hot water tank. I've had the flat's EPC re-assessed and its now an EPC Grade C. With the proposed MEES legislation soon hitting us this unit is now fit-for-purpose for many years to come. I started the process by getting a draft predicted EPC from my long-time energy assessor who guaranteed the final EPC Grade C outcome. I'm close to signing a long-term lease with a supported living provider who will putting a disabled tenant into this flat. I can't understand why landlords are giving up when the solutions are pretty straight-forward.

From: Martin Gibbons 17 April 2023 06:47 AM

Martin Gibbons
Some excellent and interesting research from Paragon Bank. One of my business partners has a loan facility with Paragon and has found them to be very good. Good to see those numbers improving but concerning that almost 1 in 4 PRS houses/flats (or 1 million units) are still at a 'non-decent' standard and not fit-for-purpose. Consumers certainly wouldn't tolerate it if 1 in 4 cars sold or 1 in 4 mobile phones sold, or 1 in 4 restaurant meals sold were sub-standard and not fit-for-purpose. I'm aware that there are still a few residential landlords who continue to have energy wasteful house/flats in their portfolios with an EPC of Grade D or worse. Their tenants are almost certainly in fuel poverty and will not be able to afford any inflationary rent increases. Bad business for those landlords. EPCs have been around for 15 years and the MEES Regs for 8 years but some landlords fail to invest in their assets to insulate the walls and roof of their units and install a modern, efficient heating system. No business has ever succeeded without reinvestment in staff training, marketing, R&D etc. Its peculiar that some landlords run their businesses without any reinvestment whatsoever and then blame the Government when they are forced to. These landlords need to take some personal responsibility and sort out how they run their business.

From: Martin Gibbons 15 April 2023 11:22 AM

Martin Gibbons
Rental houses and flats that are not already EPC Grade C are energy wasteful and NOT fit-for-purpose. These rental units have no place in our national's private rental sector. Tenants who live in these sub-standard buildings are in terrible fuel poverty. Before the war started 3 million UK families lived in fuel poverty and that number has now risen to 8 million. This is not good for business. I and thousands of other professional landlords have reinvested into our assets over a long period of time and now have portfolios of energy efficient, high-quality houses and flats that tenants can actually afford to heat during the winter. The Government has given landlords masses of notice. EPCs came in 15 years ago. The MEES legislation went on the Statute books 8 years ago. How long do landlords need to insulate the walls and roof of their rental assets and install a modern, efficient heating system?? Commission a draft 'as is' EPC from a decent energy assessor, work with them to produce a draft 'predicted' EPC that gets you to EPC Grade C and then carryout the works. How difficult is that. In my experience that moaners are those amateur landlords who think being a landlord is dead easy 'passive income' and you can get away without re-investing a penny back into the asset that gives you income. No sound business runs like that but a few (vocal) Buy-To-Let landlords think they can keep 100% of the rental income year after year. Business doesn't work like that and they will have their wealth removed from them by legislation, but most importantly by the market.

From: Martin Gibbons 14 April 2023 09:35 AM

Martin Gibbons
I haven't got a problem with this and nor do any of the other commercial and residential landlords that I do business with. It's not as if the Government hasn't given us enough notice. The MEES Regs came out in 2015. I think 8 years, to make the most energy wasteful houses and flats in the UK a bit better, isn't asking much. I really pity the landlords who have chosen to bury their heads in the sand about this and have decided not to invest back into their assets to make them fit-for-purpose. Their tenants must now all be living in extreme fuel poverty and have no money to pay for any rent increases for many years to come. That's a very poor business model for those landlords who say unintelligent things such as 'my tenant can put on a jumper'. These landlords are having their wealth removed from them by legislation, but more rapidly by the market. If you read/watch any books/videos on Warren Buffet you quickly realise that he went from well-off to super-wealthy when he changed to investing in high quality companies. Same with property, only a fool would invest their time and capital in an energy wasteful, poor quality rental house or flat. It doesn't have to be like this. All landlords have to do is hire an energy assessor to prepare a decent draft 'as is' EPC and then work with them to prepare a draft 'predicted' EPC that delivers them a Grade C. Invest in the improvements and they will have a property that their tenant can actually afford to heat next winter. That's what I've done and so have all the other landlords I know. In fact some did it years ago and now have portfolios of decent long-term assets with EPCs of Grade C and B.

From: Martin Gibbons 13 April 2023 06:49 AM

Martin Gibbons
I agree with you, Tricia. I’m sure we both hope that UK Councils will take swift action on 2 April 2025, when it’s proposed to be illegal to rent out a house or flat unless it’s EPC Grade C. I, and every landlord I do business with, have already got our rental units up to EPC Grade C. It makes sense not to have any energy wasteful units in my portfolio. I’m hoping for fewer competitor landlords in the market in 2025 so I should be able to raise my rents and improve yields.

From: Martin Gibbons 06 April 2023 07:59 AM

Martin Gibbons
Makes sense. What lender in their right mind would want to do-invest their money in an energy wasteful house or flat. EPCs have been around for 15 years, MEES has been around for 8 years and fuel poverty has been with us since man stated to collect wood to make a fire. It’s not as if us landlords haven’t had enough warning to make our buildings fit-for-purpose.

From: Martin Gibbons 04 April 2023 08:55 AM

Martin Gibbons
Oh George, you're little posts always give me a good laugh in the morning!! Did you also object to seat-belts in cars, speed limits outside schools and food safety standards in the cafes you eat in? All a bit 'Nanny State'. Generation Rent has a point - every pound that our tenants spend on gas in an energy wasteful house/flat is a pound that they don't have left to pay the rent or afford an inflationary rent increase. A domestic EPC is a straightforward Running Cost Calculation (nothing to do with carbon emissions). I'm told that our civil servants chose this methodology back in 2008 because folk worried more about energy bills rather than CO2 - I don't think its actually changed some 15 years laters. The required once every 10 years £75 domestic EPC certificate never claimed to solve a climate emergency or reduce adult obesity - but it does show a tenant or owner occupier if they will be living in fuel poverty or not. Anyway, I've gradually sorted my domestic rentals and got them all up to EPC Grade C - so I'm already MEES 2025/28 Compliant. I even had a tenant thank me for the work I'd organised on the flat she rents when my builder added Recticel Instafit insulation panels to the internal walls before undertaking some periodic redecoration works. Wonders will never cease! Happy Easter holidays everyone.

From: Martin Gibbons 03 April 2023 06:54 AM

Martin Gibbons
Within my group of domestic and commercial landlord associates, everyone of us has taken action to invest back into our rental units to improve energy efficiency and drive down energy running costs for tenants. You would have to be an incredibly stupid landlord to have failed to do this. I have no idea where SMF have got their data. Improving your asset's EPC is basic as investing back into say installing a new kitchen, ensuring guttering is repaired, repointing brickwork or fitting in a fresh bathroom. Ensuring a rental unit is well insulated and has modern/efficient building services improves rents, yields, long term value and reduces borrowing costs. I've already got my domestic rental stock to EPC Grade C and the plan/finance in place to get the commercial units up to EPC Grade B within the next couple of years. I have no idea who these '60% of landlords' are that SMF are banging on about but they must be fools. Slowly but surely they are having their wealth removed from them by legislation and the market.

From: Martin Gibbons 30 March 2023 06:51 AM

Martin Gibbons
The Government's long term advances in energy efficiency via EPCs, MEES and Building Regs Part L continues the drive to make Britain's' buildings better. 21 million domestic EPCs and 1 million commercial EPC on a transparent, public national database is a 'British Success Story' and the envy of the rest of the world. The facts don't lie - since EPCs started in 2008 and MEES in 2018 the UK's housing stock has gone up to 46% being EPC Grade C or above, from just 9% in 2008. Social housing has been getting its house in order (literally) with now 66% of its stock at EPC Grade C or above. An ever diminishing number of domestic landlords still seem to bury their heads in the sand about this but their wealth is now being removed from them by legislation, and mainly by the market. That's such a shame when just commissioning a draft 'as is' EPC and then a draft 'predicted' EPC with the cheapest route to EPC Grade C would stop their units becoming stranded assets. From the units I own its normally just been a case of getting all light bulbs to LED, cavity walls filled and 2 x layers of new Rockwool in the loft (100mm between the joists and 170mm at right angles over the top of the joists) to get them up to EPC Grade C. With one of my commercial units getting the EPC up to Grade B (MEES 2030 Compliant) helped me to secure the NHS as a excellent tenant because energy efficiency was very high of their selection criteria. I did this by changing all the lighting in the warehouse to LED, fitting in some basic electric air-con splits and replacing the old roof (which needed doing) with Tata Steel roofing panels with 120mm of solid PIR insulation. All very straightforward.

From: Martin Gibbons 27 March 2023 07:10 AM

Martin Gibbons
Don't leave it too late to sell, Andrew. The Big Seven mortgage lenders have been tightening up new lending on houses and flats that are not EPC Grade C or higher for quite some time. Have you spoken to a first time buyer recently and asked them about the hurdles that the lenders now set for new borrowers? Bank and Building Societies do not wish to co-invest their capital (for 25 years )in energy wasteful, high running costs buildings - that's what EPC Grade D and lower properties are. Have you asked your local domestic Energy Assessor to produce a draft 'as is' EPC for your units using the latest Government software and then asked him to produce a draft predicted EPC showing you the cheapest pathway to just get up to EPC Grade C by one point? That's what I've been doing now for several years with both my domestical and commercial rentals. And it's what all the other landlords I know have been doing. If you don't sell now you will probably only have true Cash Buyers left who can purchase your units. I urge you to sell them as soon as possible.

From: Martin Gibbons 24 March 2023 07:39 AM

Martin Gibbons
This is a great idea from the BPF, who are an excellent, forward-thinking industry group that I have a lot of time for. I have used the Government's very generous Capital Allowances Super-Deduction tax break to improve the energy efficiency of a couple of industrial rentals that I own. As with any tax planning initiative the key is to have the complete action plan in place before you spend the money, rather then trying to complete your accountant's paperwork after the event. It's great news that the number of poor performing commercial buildings in London has dropped to just 10%. When the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) Regs were issued in 2015 I believe the number of dreadful EPC Grade F & G commercial buildings in London was a staggering 25%. Clear, hard evidence that EPCs and MEES are working very nicely in the commercial rental sector. This results in lower energy bills for British companies (both large and small), lower carbon emissions and less reliance on imported gas and oil. I know this will be very pleasing news to many readers of LandlordToday.

From: Martin Gibbons 10 March 2023 07:55 AM

Martin Gibbons
More wise words about making domestic rental units better, reducing energy waste and improving the 21 million EPCs built-up over the last 14 years on the public national database. I've actually met Nicky Stevenson and she is one of the most intelligent, forward-thinking property professionals in our industry. There are, sadly, a tiny minority of domestic landlords who don't 'get it' but the asset value of their units is diminishing all the time. The Big 7 mortgage lenders in the UK are steadily making is more difficult to get a new mortgage or re-mortgage on houses and flats with awful EPC Grades. Makes sense - would you want to co-invest your capital in poor quality, poor performing assets that tenants don't want? I hope everyone reading Landlord Today has got their own family home energy efficient and Lodged an EPC of Grade C or better on the national database. I have and so have other landlords that I do business with. I'm not thinking of selling or re-mortgaging my family home but as EPCs last for 10 years it's crackers not to get ahead of the inevitable problem if I fail to take action.

From: Martin Gibbons 09 March 2023 07:33 AM

Martin Gibbons
I don't know a single, well-informed domestic landlord who has not already improved their stock up to EPC Grade C. Its so blindingly obvious. Why would we want our customers living in fuel poverty, spending money on gas and electricity (that goes straight off to Norway and Qatar) when that money would be better spent on some rent increases - or just paying the current rent! EPCs came in in 2008, the MEES Regs came in the 2015, the Government has done the right thing and given all landlords, both domestic and commercial, bags of notice - 8 years to be precise. The only landlords I've seen that push back on making their assets better and fit-for-the-future, are the tiny minority on this website! I sometimes doubt that these contributors are actually landlords at all. They don't seem to be rational, well informed or invest for the long-term. I think they may be in the wrong business. The Sunday Times article is interesting because, from what I've read in the professional property press this week, their whole so-called analysis has back-fired and actually proved the positive case for EPCs, not the reverse. Their evidence shows that folk living in the worst houses and flats in the UK use less energy than the EPC model would suggest. WOW, really??!! Well, the EPC model assumes that the tenant heats the whole property to 20 degree all winter long. Only Jeff Bezos could afford to heat an EPC Grade F or G house all winter long. That's precisely the point. The tenants living in EPC Grade E, F and G homes ONLY HEAT ONE ROOM, and they don't do that very often. CarbonLaces have PROVED how accurate EPCs are and their 'research' proves that 8 million families are today living in terrible fuel-poverty. Which means they don't have the CASH TO PAY THE RENT. I, and every professional landlord I do business with, will continue to improve our investment assets through careful energy efficiency upgrades. Normally best done when the unit is in between tenancies.

From: Martin Gibbons 06 March 2023 06:30 AM

Martin Gibbons
I don't know a single, well-informed domestic landlord who has not already improved their stock up to EPC Grade C. Its so blindingly obvious. Why would we want our customers living in fuel poverty, spending money on gas and electricity (that goes straight off to Norway and Qatar) when that money would be better spent on some rent increases - or just paying the current rent! EPCs came in in 2008, the MEES Regs came in the 2015, the Government has done the right thing and given all landlords, both domestic and commercial, bags of notice - 8 years to be precise. The only landlords I've seen that push back on making their assets better and fit-for-the-future, are the tiny minority on this website! I sometimes doubt that these contributors are actually landlords at all. They don't seem to be rational, well informed or invest for the long-term. I think they may be in the wrong business. The Sunday Times article is interesting because, from what I've read in the professional property press this week, their whole so-called analysis has back-fired and actually proved the positive case for EPCs, not the reverse. Their evidence shows that folk living in the worst houses and flats in the UK use less energy than the EPC model would suggest. WOW, really??!! Well, the EPC model assumes that the tenant heats the whole property to 20 degree all winter long. Only Jeff Bezos could afford to heat an EPC Grade F or G house all winter long. That's precisely the point. The tenants living in EPC Grade E, F and G homes ONLY HEAT ONE ROOM, and they don't do that very often. CarbonLaces have PROVED how accurate EPCs are and their 'research' proves that 8 million families are today living in terrible fuel-poverty. Which means they don't have the CASH TO PAY THE RENT. I, and every professional landlord I do business with, will continue to improve our investment assets through careful energy efficiency upgrades. Normally best done when the unit is in between tenancies.

From: Martin Gibbons 02 March 2023 07:46 AM

Martin Gibbons
I don't know a single, well-informed domestic landlord who has not already improved their stock up to EPC Grade C. Its so blindingly obvious. Why would we want our customers living in fuel poverty, spending money on gas and electricity (that goes straight off to Norway and Qatar) when that money would be better spent on some rent increases - or just paying the current rent! EPCs came in in 2008, the MEES Regs came in the 2015, the Government has done the right thing and given all landlords, both domestic and commercial, bags of notice - 8 years to be precise. The only landlords I've seen that push back on making their assets better and fit-for-the-future, are the tiny minority on this website! I sometimes doubt that these contributors are actually landlords at all. They don't seem to be rational, well informed or invest for the long-term. I think they may be in the wrong business. The Sunday Times article is interesting because, from what I've read in the professional property press this week, their whole so-called analysis has back-fired and actually proved the positive case for EPCs, not the reverse. Their evidence shows that folk living in the worst houses and flats in the UK use less energy than the EPC model would suggest. WOW, really??!! Well, the EPC model assumes that the tenant heats the whole property to 20 degree all winter long. Only Jeff Bezos could afford to heat an EPC Grade F or G house all winter long. That's precisely the point. The tenants living in EPC Grade E, F and G homes ONLY HEAT ONE ROOM, and they don't do that very often. CarbonLaces have PROVED how accurate EPCs are and their 'research' proves that 8 million families are today living in terrible fuel-poverty. Which means they don't have the CASH TO PAY THE RENT. I, and every professional landlord I do business with, will continue to improve our investment assets through careful energy efficiency upgrades. Normally best done when the unit is in between tenancies.

From: Martin Gibbons 02 March 2023 07:44 AM

Martin Gibbons
I don't know a single, well-informed domestic landlord who has not already improved their stock up to EPC Grade C. Its so blindingly obvious. Why would we want our customers living in fuel poverty, spending money on gas and electricity (that goes straight off to Norway and Qatar) when that money would be better spent on some rent increases - or just paying the current rent! EPCs came in in 2008, the MEES Regs came in the 2015, the Government has done the right thing and given all landlords, both domestic and commercial, bags of notice - 8 years to be precise. The only landlords I've seen that push back on making their assets better and fit-for-the-future, are the tiny minority on this website! I sometimes doubt that these contributors are actually landlords at all. They don't seem to be rational, well informed or invest for the long-term. I think they may be in the wrong business. The Sunday Times article is interesting because, from what I've read in the professional property press this week, their whole so-called analysis has back-fired and actually proved the positive case for EPCs, not the reverse. Their evidence shows that folk living in the worst houses and flats in the UK use less energy than the EPC model would suggest. WOW, really??!! Well, the EPC model assumes that the tenant heats the whole property to 20 degree all winter long. Only Jeff Bezos could afford to heat an EPC Grade F or G house all winter long. That's precisely the point. The tenants living in EPC Grade E, F and G homes ONLY HEAT ONE ROOM, and they don't do that very often. CarbonLaces have PROVED how accurate EPCs are and their 'research' proves that 8 million families are today living in terrible fuel-poverty. Which means they don't have the CASH TO PAY THE RENT. I, and every professional landlord I do business with, will continue to improve our investment assets through careful energy efficiency upgrades. Normally best done when the unit is in between tenancies.

From: Martin Gibbons 02 March 2023 07:44 AM

Martin Gibbons
I don't know a single, well-informed domestic landlord who has not already improved their stock up to EPC Grade C. Its so blindingly obvious. Why would we want our customers living in fuel poverty, spending money on gas and electricity (that goes straight off to Norway and Qatar) when that money would be better spent on some rent increases - or just paying the current rent! EPCs came in in 2008, the MEES Regs came in the 2015, the Government has done the right thing and given all landlords, both domestic and commercial, bags of notice - 8 years to be precise. The only landlords I've seen that push back on making their assets better and fit-for-the-future, are the tiny minority on this website! I sometimes doubt that these contributors are actually landlords at all. They don't seem to be rational, well informed or invest for the long-term. I think they may be in the wrong business. The Sunday Times article is interesting because, from what I've read in the professional property press this week, their whole so-called analysis has back-fired and actually proved the positive case for EPCs, not the reverse. Their evidence shows that folk living in the worst houses and flats in the UK use less energy than the EPC model would suggest. WOW, really??!! Well, the EPC model assumes that the tenant heats the whole property to 20 degree all winter long. Only Jeff Bezos could afford to heat an EPC Grade F or G house all winter long. That's precisely the point. The tenants living in EPC Grade E, F and G homes ONLY HEAT ONE ROOM, and they don't do that very often. CarbonLaces have PROVED how accurate EPCs are and their 'research' proves that 8 million families are today living in terrible fuel-poverty. Which means they don't have the CASH TO PAY THE RENT. I, and every professional landlord I do business with, will continue to improve our investment assets through careful energy efficiency upgrades. Normally best done when the unit is in between tenancies.

From: Martin Gibbons 02 March 2023 07:43 AM

Martin Gibbons
I didn't have you down as the conspiracy theory type, George !!! Not in a million years....

From: Martin Gibbons 26 January 2023 17:16 PM

Martin Gibbons
Good luck with that Simon. The main 7 x national domestic mortgage lenders are already pulling-up the drawbridge on co-investing in energy inefficient/high running cost houses and flats. Speak to your mortgage broker about it. You may be mortgage free but your buyers will all need to get a mortgage to buy your units. Otherwise its the cash buyer brigade (God help you with them) or the auction route for you. I hope you haven't left it too late to cash-out at a good price.

From: Martin Gibbons 26 January 2023 17:13 PM

Martin Gibbons
Well done Chichester District Council. This seems to be the grants, subsidies and assistance that many on this site have been calling for. I expect there will be many positive posts in response to this excellent news. This site is famous for the positive and supportive contributions from long-term, pragmatic landlords. 21,000,000 domestic EPCs now on the national database - epcregister . com 1,000,000 commercial EPCs now on the national database - about 95% of all commercial rental buildings Domestic landlords have to pay £65 once every 10 years for an EPC. It's the lowest cost compliance inspection we have to obtain. The robust national database is the greatest detailed survey of the country's building stock since William the Conqueror commissioned the Domesday Book in 1086. It was used after the Grenfell Tower disaster to accurately identify all high-rise apartment blocks. This information was obtained for the Prime Minister within 60 minutes of her request. The straightforward domestic EPC is a 'running cost' calculation. It has been since 2008. Occupiers of houses and flats firstly want to know their likely energy bills NOT carbon dioxide emissions. The certificate is very much 'fit for purpose'. It always has been. They are prepared by a nation-wide group of trained and qualified energy efficiency assessors who are audited by the Government to ensure accuracy. Have anyone on this site actually spoken to their energy assessor or paid extra for their professional advice? I have on many occasions for my rental units. The commercial EPC is a 'carbon dioxide' calculation. The clear MEES Regs for commercial buildings has already and will continue to massively improve the UK building stock. Solely because of EPCs and MEES I have been improving my commercial rental units, with the aim to get them all up to Grade B within the next 3 years.

From: Martin Gibbons 20 January 2023 07:00 AM

Martin Gibbons
This is Checklist I followed to tackle the problem: I have a 3-bed rental, built in 1959 and it's not Listed. It was an EPC Grade E and my tenant was complaining of high energy bills last winter. 1. I got my domestic EPC assessor to prepare a draft 'as is' EPC and a draft 'predicted' EPC for the house based on the refurb I was planning to do. 2. My handyman installed 100mm of loft insulation between the joists and then an extra 200mm layer of loft insulation at right angles across the joists. This is current Building Regs standard for a new house. Loft insulation is £24 for a big roll at B&Q 3. I had a Google Nest thermostat/timer installed. I ordered this direct from Google and a professional installer fitted it within the price. 4. My plumber installed TRVs on all the rads and showed the tenant how to use them. 5. My electrician fitted a 'kill switch' by the front door wired into the lighting circuits of the Distribution Board. As the tenant leaves the house one push of the button turns off all the lights in the house. Very simple and effective. 6. My handyman changed all non-LED lamps over to Philips LED lamps 7.I had already got my handyman to install solid insulation board between the joists on the ground floor prior to some recarpeting that I did a few years ago. I specified that he used Gapotape along the edges of the PIR board to give a nice snug fit between the joists. 8. Pioneer Insulation fitted external wall insulation around the walls. This was a big investment but the house now looks brand new and it's a unit that I'm holding long-term. 9. I couldn't justify the expense of new windows so I bought 'poor man's' secondary glazing from a small British company called WindowSkin. I used their product before to cover a large sash window in the winter in a draughty office that I use to rent. It's a custom cut piece of totally clear Perspex that clips on the inside of the window frame in winter to cut out 100% of window draughts. Stores under a bed in the summer. 10. Whilst we were at it my handyman installed a Nuaire DriMaster Heat Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) unit up in the ventilated loft with a outlet in the 1st floor landing ceiling. The tenant was moaning about condensation and being unable to dry clothes/towels. This simple fit-and-forget unit has totally solved these problems. 11. My EPC assessor came back after I had completed these works and gave the house an EPC Grade B by one point (score 81)). This certificate stays on the national database for the next 10-years. My mortgage broker expects to be able to get a better rate for me now that I have a 10-year valid EPC Grade B when I have to refinance this year. The above project took me about 10 x phone-calls and 2 x site visits to sort out. It really wasn't that onerous and I was surprised how straightforward it was after I’d done the initial research I'm now finishing a similar package of works on my own family home – this will raise it from an EPC Grade E to a Grade C and will start to really reduce my energy bills.

From: Martin Gibbons 18 January 2023 07:16 AM

Martin Gibbons
I have a 3-bed rental, built in 1959 and it's not Listed. It was an EPC Grade E and my tenant was complaining of high energy bills last winter. 1. I got my domestic EPC assessor to prepare a draft 'as is' EPC and a draft 'predicted' EPC for the house based on the refurb I was planning to do. 2. My handyman installed 100mm of loft insulation between the joists and then an extra 200mm layer of loft insulation at right angles across the joists. This is current Building Regs standard for a new house. Loft insulation is £24 for a big roll at B&Q 3. I had a Google Nest thermostat/timer installed. I ordered this direct from Google and a professional installer fitted it within the price. 4. My plumber installed TRVs on all the rads and showed the tenant how to use them. 5. My electrician fitted a 'kill switch' by the front door wired into the lighting circuits of the Distribution Board. As the tenant leaves the house one push of the button turns off all the lights in the house. Very simple and effective. 6. My handyman changed all non-LED lamps over to Philip LED lamps 7.I had already got my handyman to install solid insulation board between the joists on the ground floor prior to some recarpeting that I did a few years ago. 8. Pioneer Insulation fitted external wall insulation around the walls. This was a big investment but the house now looks brand new and it's a unit that I'm holding long-term. 9. I couldn't justify the expense of new windows so I bought 'poor man's' secondary glazing from a small British company called WindowSkin. I used their product before to cover a large sash window in the winter in a draughty office that I use to rent. It's a custom cut piece of totally clear Perspex that clips on the inside of the window frame in winter to cut out 100% of window draughts. Stores under a bed in the summer. 10. Whilst we were at it my handyman installed a Nuaire DriMaster Heat Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) unit up in the ventilated loft with a outlet in the 1st floor landing ceiling. The tenant was moaning about condensation and being unable to dry clothes/towels. This simple fit-and-forget unit has totally solved these problems. 11. My EPC assessor came back after I had completed these works and gave the house an EPC Grade B by one point (score 81)). This certificate stays on the national database for the next 10-years. My mortgage broker expects to be able to get a better rate for me now that I have a 10-year valid EPC Grade B when I have to refinance next year. The above project took me about 10 x phone-calls and 2 x site visits to sort out. It really wasn't that onerous and I was surprised how straightforward it was after I’d done the initial research I'm now close to finishing a similar package of works on my own family home – this will raise it from an EPC Grade E to a Grade C and will start to really reduce my energy bills in the next few weeks..

From: Martin Gibbons 11 November 2022 06:58 AM

Martin Gibbons
There's some good advice in this article. This is what I've done - have a 3-bed rental, built in 1959 and it's not Listed. It was an EPC Grade E and my tenant was complaining of high energy bills last winter. 1. I got my domestic EPC assessor to prepare a draft 'as is' EPC and a draft 'predicted' EPC for the house based on the refurb I was planning to do. 2. My handyman installed 100mm of loft insulation between the joists and then an extra 200mm layer of loft insulation at right angles across the joists. This is current Building Regs standard for a new house. Loft insulation is £24 for a big roll at B&Q 3. I had a Google Nest thermostat/timer installed. I ordered this direct from Google and a professional installer fitted it within the price. 4. My plumber installed TRVs on all the rads and showed the tenant how to use them. 5. My electrician fitted a 'kill switch' by the front door wired into the lighting circuits of the Distribution Board. As the tenant leaves the house one push of the button turns off all the lights in the house. Very simple and effective. 6. My handyman changed all non-LED lamps over to Philip LED lamps 7.I had already got my handyman to install solid insulation board between the joists on the ground floor prior to some recarpeting that I did a few years ago. 8. Pioneer Insulation fitted external wall insulation around the walls. This was a big investment but the house now looks brand new and it's a unit that I'm holding long-term. 9. I couldn't justify the expense of new windows so I bought 'poor man's' secondary glazing from a small British company called WindowSkin. I used their product before to cover a large sash window in the winter in a draughty office that I use to rent. It's a custom cut piece of totally clear Perspex that clips on the inside of the window frame in winter to cut out 100% of window draughts. Stores under a bed in the summer. 10. Whilst we were at it my handyman installed a Nuaire DriMaster Heat Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) unit up in the ventilated loft with a outlet in the 1st floor landing ceiling. The tenant was moaning about condensation and being unable to dry clothes/towels. This simple fit-and-forget unit has totally solved these problems. 11. My EPC assessor came back after I had completed these works and gave the house an EPC Grade B by one point (score 81)). This certificate stays on the national database for the next 10-years. My mortgage broker expects to be able to get a better rate for me now that I have a 10-year valid EPC Grade B when I have to refinance next year. The above project took me about 10 x phone-calls and 2 x site visits to sort out. It really wasn't that onerous and I was surprised how straightforward it was after I’d done the initial research I'm now close to finishing a similar package of works on my own family home – this will raise it from an EPC Grade E to a Grade C and will start to really reduce my energy bills in the next few weeks.

From: Martin Gibbons 08 October 2022 11:24 AM

Martin Gibbons
I have a 3-bed rental, built in 1959 and it's not Listed. It was an EPC Grade E and my tenant was complaining of high energy bills last winter. 1. I got my domestic EPC assessor to prepare a draft 'as is' EPC and a draft 'predicted' EPC for the house based on the refurb I was planning to do. 2. My handyman installed 100mm of loft insulation between the joists and then an extra 200mm layer of loft insulation at right angles across the joists. This is current Building Regs standard for a new house. Loft insulation is £24 for a big roll at B&Q 3. I had a Google Nest thermostat/timer installed. I ordered this direct from Google and a professional installer fitted it within the price. 4. My plumber installed TRVs on all the rads and showed the tenant how to use them. 5. My electrician fitted a 'kill switch' by the front door wired into the lighting circuits of the Distribution Board. As the tenant leaves the house one push of the button turns off all the lights in the house. Very simple and effective. 6. My handyman changed all non-LED lamps over to Philip LED lamps 7.I had already got my handyman to install solid insulation board between the joists on the ground floor prior to some recarpeting that I did a few years ago. 8. Pioneer Insulation fitted external wall insulation around the walls. This was a big investment but the house now looks brand new and it's a unit that I'm holding long-term. 9. I couldn't justify the expense of new windows so I bought 'poor man's' secondary glazing from a small British company called WindowSkin. I used their product before to cover a large sash window in the winter in a draughty office that I use to rent. It's a custom cut piece of totally clear Perspex that clips on the inside of the window frame in winter to cut out 100% of window draughts. Stores under a bed in the summer. 10. Whilst we were at it my handyman installed a Nuaire DriMaster Heat Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) unit up in the ventilated loft with a outlet in the 1st floor landing ceiling. The tenant was moaning about condensation and being unable to dry clothes/towels. This simple fit-and-forget unit has totally solved these problems. 11. My EPC assessor came back after I had completed these works and gave the house an EPC Grade B by one point (score 81)). This certificate stays on the national database for the next 10-years. My mortgage broker expects to be able to get a better rate for me now that I have a 10-year valid EPC Grade B when I have to refinance next year. The above project took me about 10 x phone-calls and 2 x site visits to sort out. It really wasn't that onerous and I was surprised how straightforward it was after I’d done the initial research I'm now close to finishing a similar package of works on my own family home – this will raise it from an EPC Grade E to a Grade C and will start to really reduce my energy bills in the next few weeks..

From: Martin Gibbons 20 September 2022 07:31 AM

Martin Gibbons
Ever member of my Golf Club's Landlord Group have been improving the energy efficiency and EPC Grades of their rental units over the past few years. It's common sense - then our tenants have the money to pay the rent. I'm glad we started when we did; the huge increase in energy costs since the War started has been significant.

From: Martin Gibbons 20 September 2022 07:31 AM

Martin Gibbons
I have a 3-bed rental, built in 1959 and it's not Listed. It was an EPC Grade E and my tenant was complaining of high energy bills last winter. 1. I got my domestic EPC assessor to prepare a draft 'as is' EPC and a draft 'predicted' EPC for the house based on the refurb I was planning to do. 2. My handyman installed 100mm of loft insulation between the joists and then an extra 200mm layer of loft insulation at right angles across the joists. This is current Building Regs standard for a new house. Loft insulation is £24 for a big roll at B&Q 3. I had a Google Nest thermostat/timer installed. I ordered this direct from Google and a professional installer fitted it within the price. 4. My plumber installed TRVs on all the rads and showed the tenant how to use them. 5. My electrician fitted a 'kill switch' by the front door wired into the lighting circuits of the Distribution Board. As the tenant leaves the house one push of the button turns off all the lights in the house. Very simple and effective. 6. My handyman changed all non-LED lamps over to Philip LED lamps 7.I had already got my handyman to install solid insulation board between the joists on the ground floor prior to some recarpeting that I did a few years ago. 8. Pioneer Insulation fitted external wall insulation around the walls. This was a big investment but the house now looks brand new and it's a unit that I'm holding long-term. 9. I couldn't justify the expense of new windows so I bought 'poor man's' secondary glazing from a small British company called WindowSkin. I used their product before to cover a large sash window in the winter in a draughty office that I use to rent. It's a custom cut piece of totally clear Perspex that clips on the inside of the window frame in winter to cut out 100% of window draughts. Stores under a bed in the summer. 10. Whilst we were at it my handyman installed a Nuaire DriMaster Heat Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) unit up in the ventilated loft with a outlet in the 1st floor landing ceiling. The tenant was moaning about condensation and being unable to dry clothes/towels. This simple fit-and-forget unit has totally solved these problems. 11. My EPC assessor came back after I had completed these works and gave the house an EPC Grade B by one point (score 81)). This certificate stays on the national database for the next 10-years. My mortgage broker expects to be able to get a better rate for me now that I have a 10-year valid EPC Grade B when I have to refinance next year. The above project took me about 10 x phone-calls and 2 x site visits to sort out. It really wasn't that onerous and I was surprised how straightforward it was after I’d done the initial research I'm now close to finishing a similar package of works on my own family home – this will raise it from an EPC Grade E to a Grade C and will start to really reduce my energy bills in the next few weeks..

From: Martin Gibbons 14 September 2022 16:22 PM

Martin Gibbons
I have a 3-bed rental, built in 1959 and it's not Listed. It was an EPC Grade E and my tenant was complaining of high energy bills last winter. 1. I got my domestic EPC assessor to prepare a draft 'as is' EPC and a draft 'predicted' EPC for the house based on the refurb I was planning to do. 2. My handyman installed 100mm of loft insulation between the joists and then an extra 200mm layer of loft insulation at right angles across the joists. This is current Building Regs standard for a new house. Loft insulation is £24 for a big roll at B&Q 3. I had a Google Nest thermostat/timer installed. I ordered this direct from Google and a professional installer fitted it within the price. 4. My plumber installed TRVs on all the rads and showed the tenant how to use them. 5. My electrician fitted a 'kill switch' by the front door wired into the lighting circuits of the Distribution Board. As the tenant leaves the house one push of the button turns off all the lights in the house. Very simple and effective. 6. My handyman changed all non-LED lamps over to Philip LED lamps 7.I had already got my handyman to install solid insulation board between the joists on the ground floor prior to some recarpeting that I did a few years ago. 8. Pioneer Insulation fitted external wall insulation around the walls. This was a big investment but the house now looks brand new and it's a unit that I'm holding long-term. 9. I couldn't justify the expense of new windows so I bought 'poor man's' secondary glazing from a small British company called WindowSkin. I used their product before to cover a large sash window in the winter in a draughty office that I use to rent. It's a custom cut piece of totally clear Perspex that clips on the inside of the window frame in winter to cut out 100% of window draughts. Stores under a bed in the summer. 10. Whilst we were at it my handyman installed a Nuaire DriMaster Heat Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) unit up in the ventilated loft with a outlet in the 1st floor landing ceiling. The tenant was moaning about condensation and being unable to dry clothes/towels. This simple fit-and-forget unit has totally solved these problems. 11. My EPC assessor came back after I had completed these works and gave the house an EPC Grade B by one point (score 81)). This certificate stays on the national database for the next 10-years. My mortgage broker expects to be able to get a better rate for me now that I have a 10-year valid EPC Grade B when I have to refinance next year. The above project took me about 10 x phone-calls and 2 x site visits to sort out. It really wasn't that onerous and I was surprised how straightforward it was after I’d done the initial research I'm now close to finishing a similar package of works on my own family home – this will raise it from an EPC Grade E to a Grade C and will start to really reduce my energy bills in the next few weeks..

From: Martin Gibbons 14 September 2022 16:21 PM

Martin Gibbons
I have a 3-bed rental, built in 1959 and it's not Listed. It was an EPC Grade E and my tenant was complaining of high energy bills last winter. 1. I got my domestic EPC assessor to prepare a draft 'as is' EPC and a draft 'predicted' EPC for the house based on the refurb I was planning to do. 2. My handyman installed 100mm of loft insulation between the joists and then an extra 200mm layer of loft insulation at right angles across the joists. This is current Building Regs standard for a new house. Loft insulation is £24 for a big roll at B&Q 3. I had a Google Nest thermostat/timer installed. I ordered this direct from Google and a professional installer fitted it within the price. 4. My plumber installed TRVs on all the rads and showed the tenant how to use them. 5. My electrician fitted a 'kill switch' by the front door wired into the lighting circuits of the Distribution Board. As the tenant leaves the house one push of the button turns off all the lights in the house. Very simple and effective. 6. My handyman changed all non-LED lamps over to Philip LED lamps 7.I had already got my handyman to install solid insulation board between the joists on the ground floor prior to some recarpeting that I did a few years ago. 8. Pioneer Insulation fitted external wall insulation around the walls. This was a big investment but the house now looks brand new and it's a unit that I'm holding long-term. 9. I couldn't justify the expense of new windows so I bought 'poor man's' secondary glazing from a small British company called WindowSkin. I used their product before to cover a large sash window in the winter in a draughty office that I use to rent. It's a custom cut piece of totally clear Perspex that clips on the inside of the window frame in winter to cut out 100% of window draughts. Stores under a bed in the summer. 10. Whilst we were at it my handyman installed a Nuaire DriMaster Heat Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) unit up in the ventilated loft with a outlet in the 1st floor landing ceiling. The tenant was moaning about condensation and being unable to dry clothes/towels. This simple fit-and-forget unit has totally solved these problems. 11. My EPC assessor came back after I had completed these works and gave the house an EPC Grade B by one point (score 81)). This certificate stays on the national database for the next 10-years. My mortgage broker expects to be able to get a better rate for me now that I have a 10-year valid EPC Grade B when I have to refinance next year. The above project took me about 10 x phone-calls and 2 x site visits to sort out. It really wasn't that onerous and I was surprised how straightforward it was after I’d done the initial research I'm now close to finishing a similar package of works on my own family home – this will raise it from an EPC Grade E to a Grade C and will start to really reduce my energy bills in the next few weeks..

From: Martin Gibbons 14 September 2022 16:21 PM

Martin Gibbons
I have a 3-bed rental, built in 1959 and it's not Listed. It was an EPC Grade E and my tenant was complaining of high energy bills last winter. 1. I got my domestic EPC assessor to prepare a draft 'as is' EPC and a draft 'predicted' EPC for the house based on the refurb I was planning to do. 2. My handyman installed 100mm of loft insulation between the joists and then an extra 200mm layer of loft insulation at right angles across the joists. This is current Building Regs standard for a new house. Loft insulation is £24 for a big roll at B&Q 3. I had a Google Nest thermostat/timer installed. I ordered this direct from Google and a professional installer fitted it within the price. 4. My plumber installed TRVs on all the rads and showed the tenant how to use them. 5. My electrician fitted a 'kill switch' by the front door wired into the lighting circuits of the Distribution Board. As the tenant leaves the house one push of the button turns off all the lights in the house. Very simple and effective. 6. My handyman changed all non-LED lamps over to Philip LED lamps 7.I had already got my handyman to install solid insulation board between the joists on the ground floor prior to some recarpeting that I did a few years ago. 8. Pioneer Insulation fitted external wall insulation around the walls. This was a big investment but the house now looks brand new and it's a unit that I'm holding long-term. 9. I couldn't justify the expense of new windows so I bought 'poor man's' secondary glazing from a small British company called WindowSkin. I used their product before to cover a large sash window in the winter in a draughty office that I use to rent. It's a custom cut piece of totally clear Perspex that clips on the inside of the window frame in winter to cut out 100% of window draughts. Stores under a bed in the summer. 10. Whilst we were at it my handyman installed a Nuaire DriMaster Heat Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) unit up in the ventilated loft with a outlet in the 1st floor landing ceiling. The tenant was moaning about condensation and being unable to dry clothes/towels. This simple fit-and-forget unit has totally solved these problems. 11. My EPC assessor came back after I had completed these works and gave the house an EPC Grade B by one point (score 81)). This certificate stays on the national database for the next 10-years. My mortgage broker expects to be able to get a better rate for me now that I have a 10-year valid EPC Grade B when I have to refinance next year. The above project took me about 10 x phone-calls and 2 x site visits to sort out. It really wasn't that onerous and I was surprised how straightforward it was after I’d done the initial research I'm now close to finishing a similar package of works on my own family home – this will raise it from an EPC Grade E to a Grade C and will start to really reduce my energy bills in the next few weeks..

From: Martin Gibbons 14 September 2022 16:20 PM

Martin Gibbons
I've posted this before but I've taken this matter into my own hands. I haven't got time to wait for the Government I have a 3-bed rental, built in 1959 and it's not Listed. It was an EPC Grade E and my tenant was complaining of high energy bills last winter. 1. I got my domestic EPC assessor to prepare a draft 'as is' EPC and a draft 'predicted' EPC for the house based on the refurb I was planning to do. 2. My handyman installed 100mm of loft insulation between the joists and then an extra 200mm layer of loft insulation at right angles across the joists. This is current Building Regs standard for a new house. Loft insulation is £24 for a big roll at B&Q 3. I had a Google Nest thermostat/timer installed. I ordered this direct from Google and a professional installer fitted it within the price. 4. My plumber installed TRVs on all the rads and showed the tenant how to use them. 5. My electrician fitted a 'kill switch' by the front door wired into the lighting circuits of the Distribution Board. As the tenant leaves the house one push of the button turns off all the lights in the house. Very simple and effective. 6. My handyman changed all non-LED lamps over to Philip LED lamps 7.I had already got my handyman to install solid insulation board between the joists on the ground floor prior to some recarpeting that I did a few years ago. 8. Pioneer Insulation fitted external wall insulation around the walls. This was a big investment but the house now looks brand new and it's a unit that I'm holding long-term. 9. I couldn't justify the expense of new windows so I bought 'poor man's' secondary glazing from a small British company called WindowSkin. I used their product before to cover a large sash window in the winter in a draughty office that I use to rent. It's a custom cut piece of totally clear Perspex that clips on the inside of the window frame in winter to cut out 100% of window draughts. Stores under a bed in the summer. 10. Whilst we were at it my handyman installed a Nuaire DriMaster Heat Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) unit up in the ventilated loft with a outlet in the 1st floor landing ceiling. The tenant was moaning about condensation and being unable to dry clothes/towels. This simple fit-and-forget unit has totally solved these problems. 11. My EPC assessor came back after I had completed these works and gave the house an EPC Grade B by one point (score 81)). This certificate stays on the national database for the next 10-years. My mortgage broker expects to be able to get a better rate for me now that I have a 10-year valid EPC Grade B when I have to refinance next year. The above project took me about 10 x phone-calls and 2 x site visits to sort out. It really wasn't that onerous and I was surprised how straightforward it was after I’d done the initial research I'm now close to finishing a similar package of works on my own family home – this will raise it from an EPC Grade E to a Grade C and will start to really reduce my energy bills in the next few weeks.

From: Martin Gibbons 14 September 2022 14:11 PM

Martin Gibbons
Let's get the Rogue Idiot Politicians database (RIP) set-up first. But I think the website would crash - too much data.

From: Martin Gibbons 13 September 2022 07:53 AM

Martin Gibbons
I would suggest a conversation with the domestic energy assessor that you used to clarify this point Michael. I have a very good working relationship with the domestic EPC assessor that I use in the Thames Valley. I pay him extra for the valuable advice that he's given to me over the years. EPC Grade C is still good and makes your unit MEES 2025 Compliant (subject to the Government's proposal becoming firm Regulations). Sounds like you have created a well insulated, efficient home that I'm sure your tenant will value this autumn and winter.

From: Martin Gibbons 07 September 2022 13:26 PM

Martin Gibbons
Thanks Michael. Remember that a domestic EPC has always been a financial cost of heating and lighting the house/flat calculation. Grade A means it's cheap to run - Grade G means it's very expensive to run. Gas per kilowatt hour is still considerably cheaper to buy than a kilowatt hour of electricity that's why the modern combi gas boiler I have in this particular unit EPCs so well, especially with all the insulation I have now packed-in. BUT burning gas is not that great for planet Earth so I'm sure that over the long-term the Government will start adding tax to gas and try to narrow the gap and make electricity more affordable. An electric heat pump is, at best, 'running cost neutral' compared to a modern gas boiler

From: Martin Gibbons 05 September 2022 14:32 PM

Martin Gibbons
The draft predicted EPC, that I had prepared before the refurb, showed that I would get an EPC Grade B by one point (no need to spend anymore than necessary). The EPC assessor has recently returned for the verification site survey and given it a Lodged EPC, as predicted it is a Grade B score 81, a Grade B by one point. I had already got my handyman to install solid insulation board between the joists on the ground floor prior to recarpeting that I did a few years ago. My mortgage broker expects to be able to get a better rate for me now that I have a 10-year valid EPC Grade B when I have to refinance next year. I was surprised by how easy the whole project has been.

From: Martin Gibbons 05 September 2022 10:10 AM

Martin Gibbons
A 'nightmare', well it's how you look at things: I have a 3-bed rental, built in 1959 and it's not Listed. It was an EPC Grade E and my tenant was complaining of high energy bills last winter. 1. I got a domestic EPC assessor to prepare a draft 'as is' EPC and a draft 'predicted' EPC for the house based on the refurb I was planning to do. 2. My handyman installed 100mm of loft insulation between the joists and then an extra 200mm layer of loft insulation at right angles across the joists. This is current Building Regs standard for a new house. Loft insulation is £24 for a big roll at B&Q 3. I had a Google Nest thermostat/timer installed. I ordered this direct from Google and a professional installer fitted it within the price 4. My plumber installed TRVs on all the rads and showed the tenant how to use them 5. My electrician fitted a 'kill switch' by the front door wired into the lighting circuits of the Distribution Board. As the tenant leaves the house one push of the button turns off all the lights in the house. Very simple and effective 6. My handyman changed all non-LED lamps over to Philip LED lamps 7. Pioneer Insulation fitted external wall insulation around the walls. This was a big investment but the house now looks brand new and it's a unit that I'm holding long-term. 8. I couldn't justify the expense of new windows so I bought 'poor man's' secondary glazing from a small British company called WindowSkin. I used their product before to cover a large sash window in the winter in a draughty office that I use to rent. It's a custom cut piece of totally clear Perspex that clips on the inside of the window frame in winter to cut out 100% of window draughts. Stores under a bed in the summer. 9. My EPC assessor came back after I had completed these works and gave the house an EPC Grade B. This certificate stays on the national database for the next 10-years. The above project took me about 10 x phone-calls and 2 x site visits to sort out. It really wasn't that onerous. I'm now close to finishing exactly the same package of works on my own family home.

From: Martin Gibbons 05 September 2022 07:50 AM

Martin Gibbons
For the life of me I can't understand what all the fuss is about landlords not being able to improve the energy efficiency (and therefore the EPC) of their investment buildings. I, like thousands of other professional landlords, realised this when EPCs were introduced way back in 2008. It not like the Government has sprung it on us! Over the years I've been spending some of my annual rental income on improving loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. I've used external wall insulation on one of my properties - the EPC up-lift for me and energy cost saving for the tenant have been extremely good. I've recently installed Dimplex Quantum night storage heaters in a rental flat. I've helped my tenant sign-up to an off-peak electricity tariff, which is a fraction of the cost of expensive 'day time' electricity'. Night storage heaters have come on massively since the 1980s and retain the heat all day whilst the tenant is out at work. It's a pile of bricks in a steel box and is ideal for rental homes where the tenant can be less than careful. A domestic EPC is an energy COST calculation, the worse the Grade the more my tenant has to pay to the NPower, British Gas (and indirectly the Qatari Royal Family and Vladimir Putin) and the less money they have to pay my rent. It makes good financial sense to drive down the money my tenants have to pay in energy costs. Don't landlords on this Blog understand this? Every single resi landlord mate of mine in the Thames Valley has either fixed-up their houses and flats to EPC Grade C or long since sold their 'difficult' assets and reinvested the capital in energy efficient homes (which can indeed be both older or modern buildings) For me and other professional landlords this simply is not an issue and not a problem. Relaxing Planning regulations so I and others can build a few more houses and flats for renters would be a far better issue for us all to campaign on. Domestic EPCs and MEES is NOT what rational landlords worry about.

From: Martin Gibbons 16 February 2022 07:43 AM

Martin Gibbons
For the life of me I can't understand what all the fuss is about landlords not being able to improve the energy efficiency (and therefore the EPC) of their investment buildings. I, like thousands of other professional landlords, realised this when EPCs were introduced way back in 2008. It not like the Government has sprung it on us! Over the years I've been spending some of my annual rental income on improving loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. I've used external wall insulation on one of my properties - the EPC up-lift for me and energy cost saving for the tenant have been extremely good. I've recently installed Dimplex Quantum night storage heaters in a rental flat. I've helped my tenant sign-up to an off-peak electricity tariff, which is a fraction of the cost of expensive 'day time' electricity'. Night storage heaters have come on massively since the 1980s and retain the heat all day whilst the tenant is out at work. It's a pile of bricks in a steel box and is ideal for rental homes where the tenant can be less than careful. A domestic EPC is an energy COST calculation, the worse the Grade the more my tenant has to pay to the NPower, British Gas (and indirectly the Qatari Royal Family and Vladimir Putin) and the less money they have to pay my rent. It makes good financial sense to drive down the money my tenants have to pay in energy costs. Don't landlords on this Blog understand this? Every single resi landlord mate of mine in the Thames Valley has either fixed-up their houses and flats to EPC Grade C or long since sold their 'difficult' assets and reinvested the capital in energy efficient homes (which can indeed be both older or modern buildings) For me and other professional landlords this simply is not an issue and not a problem. Relaxing Planning regulations so I and others can build a few more houses and flats for renters would be a far better issue for us all to campaign on. Domestic EPCs and MEES is NOT what rational landlords worry about.

From: Martin Gibbons 07 February 2022 07:14 AM

Martin Gibbons
For the life of me I can't understand what all the fuss is about landlords not being able to improve the energy efficiency (and therefore the EPC) of their investment buildings. I, like thousands of other professional landlords, realised this when EPCs were introduced way back in 2008. It not like the Government has sprung it on us! Over the years I've been spending some of my annual rental income on improving loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. I've used external wall insulation on one of my properties - the EPC up-lift for me and energy cost saving for the tenant have been extremely good. I've recently installed Dimplex Quantum night storage heaters in a rental flat. I've helped my tenant sign-up to an off-peak electricity tariff, which is a fraction of the cost of expensive 'day time' electricity'. Night storage heaters have come on massively since the 1980s and retain the heat all day whilst the tenant is out at work. It's a pile of bricks in a steel box and is ideal for rental homes where the tenant can be less than careful. A domestic EPC is an energy COST calculation, the worse the Grade the more my tenant has to pay to the NPower, British Gas (and indirectly the Qatari Royal Family and Vladimir Putin) and the less money they have to pay my rent. It makes good financial sense to drive down the money my tenants have to pay in energy costs. Don't landlords on this Blog understand this? Every single resi landlord mate of mine in the Thames Valley has either fixed-up their houses and flats to EPC Grade C or long since sold their 'difficult' assets and reinvested the capital in energy efficient homes (which can indeed be both older or modern buildings) For me and other professional landlords this simply is not an issue and not a problem. Relaxing Planning regulations so I and others can build a few more houses and flats for renters would be a far better issue for us all to campaign on. Domestic EPCs and MEES is NOT what rational landlords worry about.

From: Martin Gibbons 07 February 2022 07:13 AM

Martin Gibbons
For the life of me I can't understand what all the fuss is about landlords not being able to improve the energy efficiency (and therefore the EPC) of their investment buildings. I, like thousands of other professional landlords, realised this when EPCs were introduced way back in 2008. It not like the Government has sprung it on us! Over the years I've been spending some of my annual rental income on improving loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. I've used external wall insulation on one of my properties - the EPC up-lift for me and energy cost saving for the tenant have been extremely good. I've recently installed Dimplex Quantum night storage heaters in a rental flat. I've helped my tenant sign-up to an off-peak electricity tariff, which is a fraction of the cost of expensive 'day time' electricity'. Night storage heaters have come on massively since the 1980s and retain the heat all day whilst the tenant is out at work. It's a pile of bricks in a steel box and is ideal for rental homes where the tenant can be less than careful. A domestic EPC is an energy COST calculation, the worse the Grade the more my tenant has to pay to the NPower, British Gas (and indirectly the Qatari Royal Family and Vladimir Putin) and the less money they have to pay my rent. It makes good financial sense to drive down the money my tenants have to pay in energy costs. Don't landlords on this Blog understand this? Every single resi landlord mate of mine in the Thames Valley has either fixed-up their houses and flats to EPC Grade C or long since sold their 'difficult' assets and reinvested the capital in energy efficient homes (which can indeed be both older or modern buildings) For me and other professional landlords this simply is not an issue and not a problem. Relaxing Planning regulations so I and others can build a few more houses and flats for renters would be a far better issue for us all to campaign on. Domestic EPCs and MEES is NOT what rational landlords worry about.

From: Martin Gibbons 07 February 2022 07:11 AM

Martin Gibbons
For the life of me I can't understand what all the fuss is about landlords not being able to improve the energy efficiency (and therefore the EPC) of their investment buildings. I, like thousands of other professional landlords, realised this when EPCs were introduced way back in 2008. It not like the Government has sprung it on us! Over the years I've been spending some of my annual rental income on improving loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. I've used external wall insulation on one of my properties - the EPC up-lift for me and energy cost saving for the tenant have been extremely good. I've recently installed Dimplex Quantum night storage heaters in a rental flat. I've helped my tenant sign-up to an off-peak electricity tariff, which is a fraction of the cost of expensive 'day time' electricity'. Night storage heaters have come on massively since the 1980s and retain the heat all day whilst the tenant is out at work. It's a pile of bricks in a steel box and is ideal for rental homes where the tenant can be less than careful. A domestic EPC is an energy COST calculation, the worse the Grade the more my tenant has to pay to the NPower, British Gas (and indirectly the Qatari Royal Family and Vladimir Putin) and the less money they have to pay my rent. It makes good financial sense to drive down the money my tenants have to pay in energy costs. Don't landlords on this Blog understand this? Every single resi landlord mate of mine in the Thames Valley has either fixed-up their houses and flats to EPC Grade C or long since sold their 'difficult' assets and reinvested the capital in energy efficient homes (which can indeed be both older or modern buildings) For me and other professional landlords this simply is not an issue and not a problem. Relaxing Planning regulations so I and others can build a few more houses and flats for renters would be a far better issue for us all to campaign on. Domestic EPCs and MEES is NOT what rational landlords worry about.

From: Martin Gibbons 07 February 2022 07:10 AM

Martin Gibbons
For the life of me I can't understand what all the fuss is about landlords not being able to improve the energy efficiency (and therefore the EPC) of their investment buildings. I, like thousands of other professional landlords, realised this when EPCs were introduced way back in 2008. It not like the Government has sprung it on us! Over the years I've been spending some of my annual rental income on improving loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. I've used external wall insulation on one of my properties - the EPC up-lift for me and energy cost saving for the tenant have been extremely good. I've recently installed Dimplex Quantum night storage heaters in a rental flat. I've helped my tenant sign-up to an off-peak electricity tariff, which is a fraction of the cost of expensive 'day time' electricity'. Night storage heaters have come on massively since the 1980s and retain the heat all day whilst the tenant is out at work. It's a pile of bricks in a steel box and is ideal for rental homes where the tenant can be less than careful. A domestic EPC is an energy COST calculation, the worse the Grade the more my tenant has to pay to the NPower, British Gas (and indirectly the Qatari Royal Family and Vladimir Putin) and the less money they have to pay my rent. It makes good financial sense to drive down the money my tenants have to pay in energy costs. Don't landlords on this Blog understand this? Every single resi landlord mate of mine in the Thames Valley has either fixed-up their houses and flats to EPC Grade C or long since sold their 'difficult' assets and reinvested the capital in energy efficient homes (which can indeed be both older or modern buildings) For me and other professional landlords this simply is not an issue and not a problem. Relaxing Planning regulations so I and others can build a few more houses and flats for renters would be a far better issue for us all to campaign on. Domestic EPCs and MEES is NOT what rational landlords worry about.

From: Martin Gibbons 07 February 2022 07:09 AM

Martin Gibbons
For the life of me I can't understand what all the fuss is about landlords not being able to improve the energy efficiency (and therefore the EPC) of their investment buildings. I, like thousands of other professional landlords, realised this when EPCs were introduced way back in 2008. It not like the Government has sprung it on us! Over the years I've been spending some of my annual rental income on improving loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. I've used external wall insulation on one of my properties - the EPC up-lift for me and energy cost saving for the tenant have been extremely good. I've recently installed Dimplex Quantum night storage heaters in a rental flat. I've helped my tenant sign-up to an off-peak electricity tariff, which is a fraction of the cost of expensive 'day time' electricity'. Night storage heaters have come on massively since the 1980s and retain the heat all day whilst the tenant is out at work. It's a pile of bricks in a steel box and is ideal for rental homes where the tenant can be less than careful. A domestic EPC is an energy COST calculation, the worse the Grade the more my tenant has to pay to the NPower, British Gas (and indirectly the Qatari Royal Family and Vladimir Putin) and the less money they have to pay my rent. It makes good financial sense to drive down the money my tenants have to pay in energy costs. Don't landlords on this Blog understand this? Every single resi landlord mate of mine in the Thames Valley has either fixed-up their houses and flats to EPC Grade C or long since sold their 'difficult' assets and reinvested the capital in energy efficient homes (which can indeed be both older or modern buildings) For me and other professional landlords this simply is not an issue and not a problem. Relaxing Planning regulations so I and others can build a few more houses and flats for renters would be a far better issue for us all to campaign on. Domestic EPCs and MEES is NOT what rational landlords worry about.

From: Martin Gibbons 07 February 2022 07:08 AM

Martin Gibbons
For the life of me I can't understand what all the fuss is about landlords not being able to improve the energy efficiency (and therefore the EPC) of their investment buildings. I, like thousands of other professional landlords, realised this when EPCs were introduced way back in 2008. It not like the Government has sprung it on us! Over the years I've been spending some of my annual rental income on improving loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. I've used external wall insulation on one of my properties - the EPC up-lift for me and energy cost saving for the tenant have been extremely good. I've recently installed Dimplex Quantum night storage heaters in a rental flat. I've helped my tenant sign-up to an off-peak electricity tariff, which is a fraction of the cost of expensive 'day time' electricity'. Night storage heaters have come on massively since the 1980s and retain the heat all day whilst the tenant is out at work. It's a pile of bricks in a steel box and is ideal for rental homes where the tenant can be less than careful. A domestic EPC is an energy COST calculation, the worse the Grade the more my tenant has to pay to the NPower, British Gas (and indirectly the Qatari Royal Family and Vladimir Putin) and the less money they have to pay my rent. It makes good financial sense to drive down the money my tenants have to pay in energy costs. Don't landlords on this Blog understand this? Every single resi landlord mate of mine in the Thames Valley has either fixed-up their houses and flats to EPC Grade C or long since sold their 'difficult' assets and reinvested the capital in energy efficient homes (which can indeed be both older or modern buildings) For me and other professional landlords this simply is not an issue and not a problem. Relaxing Planning regulations so I and others can build a few more houses and flats for renters would be a far better issue for us all to campaign on. Domestic EPCs and MEES is NOT what rational landlords worry about.

From: Martin Gibbons 26 January 2022 06:55 AM

Martin Gibbons
For the life of me I can't understand what all the fuss is about landlords not being able to improve the energy efficiency (and therefore the EPC) of their investment buildings. I, like thousands of other professional landlords, realised this when EPCs were introduced way back in 2008. It not like the Government has sprung it on us! Over the years I've been spending some of my annual rental income on improving loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. I've used external wall insulation on one of my properties - the EPC up-lift and energy cost saving for the tenant have been extremely good. I've recently installed some Dimplex Quantum night storage heaters in a rental flat. I've helped my tenant sign-up to a off-peak electricity tariff, which is a fraction of the cost of expensive 'day time' electricity'. Night storage heaters have come on massively since the 1980s and retain the heat all day whilst the tenant is out at work. It's a pile of bricks in a steel box and is ideal for rental homes where the tenant can be less than careful. I don't own shares in Dimplex but am seriously thinking about it. A domestic EPC is an energy COST calculation, the worse the Grade the more my tenant has to pay to the NPower, British Gas (and indirectly the Qatari Royal Family) and the less money they have to pay my rent. It makes good financial sense to drive down the money my tenants have to pay in energy costs. Don't landlords on this Blog understand this? Every single resi landlord mate of mine in the Thames Valley has either fixed-up their houses and flats to EPC Grade C or long since sold their 'difficult' assets and reinvested the capital in energy efficient homes (which can indeed be both older or modern buildings) For me and other professional landlords this simply is not an issue and not a problem. Relaxing Planning regulations so I and others can build a few more houses and flats for renters would be a far better issue for us all to campaign on. Domestic EPCs and MEES is NOT what intelligent landlords worry about.

From: Martin Gibbons 12 January 2022 06:58 AM

Martin Gibbons
Makes perfect sense. There are now very good LED alternatives for just about every situation. My electrician changed my resi and commercial portfolio to LED a while ago. It also helped to push most of the EPCs up to Grade C, which may keep the bank off my back. With electricity now at almost 18p per kWh driving down my tenants' annual bills should help with retention.

From: Martin Gibbons 11 June 2021 14:25 PM

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