To achieve government’s EPC targets by 2035, landlords across the country may be forced to take action at a time when money is already tight. Nicola Kennedy, CEO of Heero Technologies, explains how technology can help buy to let landlords decarbonise homes and at the same time keep tenants happy.

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Approximately 19 million homes will require energy efficiency improvements before 2035 to ensure the UK is on track to meet its Climate Change Committee (CCC) 2050 net zero ambition and an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This means the installation of renewable technologies and other energy-saving measures are likely to become be a priority. 

However, faced with ever-increasing costs, as well as the on-going cost-of-living crisis, and despite widely available advice and information on home energy efficiency solutions, more   actionable steps are required.

There are several possible reasons for this, from having a limited understanding of the energy used in a property and what improvements may align with a landlord’s personal goals, to a lack of understanding of the advice and financial support available. 

Some, of course, may be discouraged by the cost, an often disjointed and complex customer journey, while others simply have low confidence in projected savings and, as such, are reluctant to making large investments in energy-saving measures with little understanding of the benefits. In fact, research often cites the biggest reasons for not making energy improvements are the upfront costs, not knowing enough about what the options are and not being sure if it is worth the investment.

Considering the scale of the current on-going cost of living crisis and the very probable ‘green’ initiatives Labour will introduce for retrofitting houses, the sector and wider market needs to come together to educate and dispel myths that improvements and upgrades are too costly or difficult to implement. That said, ensuring the correct improvements are implemented in the right properties is vital, meaning that processes need to be tailored to suit landlords and tenants alike. 

One solution that could go some way to achieving this may be the use of technology, specifically software.

Private landlords, particularly those with large buy to let portfolios, could offer their existing tenants’ software, an app for example, that will give them personalised home energy insights with recommendations of what energy efficiencies could be made. In fact, there are some unique independent platforms that will highlight property-specific energy efficiency measures that could be carried out, show the cost of any installations required and highlight savings associated with the suggested improvements.

The app can also provide valuable information on the financing and installation of energy-saving home improvements and thanks to partnerships with various financial services providers, landlords are able to easily overcome another common retrofit obstacle – access to finance. 

Further benefits to using the software include, a built-in compliance service, inbound also outbound customer communications and even using the app as a marketing tool. Essentially, it can improve the customer experience while guiding tenants through the entire energy retrofit journey

Housing accounts for a large percentage of carbon emissions, so hitting the government’s targets will require a major improvement in the energy efficiency of the country’s housing stock. Landlords could lead the way by working together with their tenants, as they contemplate how best to decarbonise their properties in an affordable way. 

Such technologies can not only serve as a tool for equipping landlords with knowledge and confidence to make decisions that will positively impact their properties but will add value to their proposition by offering an added value benefit to tenants. They will also, at the same time, be making significant inroads into helping the country achieve its net zero targets.

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For more information, visit https://www.heerotechnologies.com/