Industry News
Government u-turn on energy efficiency disappoints sector
R
ishi Sunak has taken an axe to many of the country’s energy efficiency targets threatening the delivery of net zero
carbon emissions by legal deadlines and drawing widespread criticism from the social housing sector. In a move seen as a cynical piece of
electioneering and potentially counter-productive due to its impact on people’s health, the Prime Minister signalled a dramatic u-turn on many Green energy policies which have previously enjoyed high levels of cross party support. Among the changes, Sunak announced were: • Scrapping of plans for new rental properties to have at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of ‘C’ by 2025, and all properties by 2028
• A 50% increase in grant funding (to £7,500) for heat pumps through the Government’s boiler upgrade scheme
• Giving households “far more time” to transition from oil and gas boilers to heat pumps
• A delay on banning the sale of diesel and petrol cars from 2030 to 2035
While claiming he was still committed to delivering next zero by 2050, Sunak said he would achieve it in a more proportionate way, which would save hard- pressed families thousands of pounds. But many commentators have said low-income
tenants will face higher energy bills as a result of the decision to scrap plans to force private landlords to upgrade their properties to make them more energy efficient. Tere were also no new incentives for increasing rates of home insulation. In a hard-hitting response to the announcement
Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said it was “hugely disappointing” to see the Government “row back from its commitments to net zero, particularly on improving the energy efficiency of our homes”. She added: “England’s homes are among the
oldest and draughtiest in Europe. Making homes more energy efficient is a win-win, not only helping
In a hard-hitting response to the announcement Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said it was “hugely disappointing” to see the Government “row back from its commitments to net zero, particularly on improving the energy efficiency of our homes”.
to save our planet, but also boosting our economy by creating jobs and, crucially, saving money.” “Our research found that retrofitting homes
would save social housing residents on average 40% on heating bills. Scrapping targets on this could lead to people facing higher bills for years to come.” Ms Henderson said housing associations are
committed to carrying out this work and “ensuring residents on low incomes benefit from homes that are affordable to heat”. “It’s a commitment that will help people across
the country. However, they cannot do this alone and need leadership, policy certainty and long-term investment from government,” she added. Just days before the Sunak u-turn, the NHF had
written to the Government calling on it to release the full £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund in the Autumn Statement. Dan Wilson Craw, deputy chief executive of
Generation Rent, said that cancelling higher standards for rented homes is a “colossal error” by the Government. “Leaving the impact on the climate to one
side, it makes the cost of living crisis worse and damages renters’ health. One in four private renters already lives in fuel poverty and without targets for landlords to improve their properties, they face many more years of unaffordable bills. Energy efficiency is also an essential part of a home’s quality.”
Private landlords urge Welsh Government to reject rent controls
Te NRLA has responded to the Welsh Government’s “Fair Rents & Adequate Housing” consultation, by arguing that any move to introduce rent controls would have a disastrous impact on the private rented sector in Wales. In its consultation submission, the National
Residential Landlords Association sets out how rent controls have significant downsides in how they influence landlord behaviour and stifle housing supply.
Commenting on the consultation response, Ben
Beadle, chief executive at the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “With a chronic supply and demand crisis engulfing the Welsh private rented sector, it is difficult to think of any policy measure likely to worsen the current situation more than rent controls.” “Wherever they have been applied, interventions
of this kind have served only to deter, rather than encourage, investment.”
6 | HMMOctober/November 2023 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk “If the Welsh Government is serious about
addressing high rents and a lack of supply, it must take tangible steps to increase housing supply. A good place to start would be to back our calls for pro-growth measures to encourage investment in homes to rent.” “Now is not the time for failed ideologies to be
pursued. We need progressive policies which will allow private landlords to deliver the high-quality private rented accommodation tenants need.”
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