Actis have welcomed plans to extend the current social housing thermal efficiency requirements to housing associations and councils
Insulation specialist Actis has welcomed a government pledge to help social housing tenants reduce their heating bills – by introducing legislation which will oblige all landlords to improve the thermal efficiency of the homes they rent out.
The social housing thermal efficiency plan, subject to consultation later this year, will see an existing rule, currently aimed only at private landlords, extended to incorporate housing associations and councils too.
Less than half of private rental properties currently meet the minimum EPC rating
If approved, the ruling will mean all rental properties must achieve an EPC rating of C or above by 2030. While around 70 per cent of social housing properties currently meet this target, around 1.2m are rated D or below.
Only 44 per cent of private rental properties, of which there are 2.6m in the UK, achieve that target, although currently they only have to reach a level E.
A report issued in autumn 2022, by social housing provider trade association the National Housing Federation (NHF) said social housing residents in England, three-quarters of whom rely on benefits to top up their income, would see their heating bills reduced by 42% if their homes were insulated and draught-proofed.
The new government has promised financial support to upgrade 5m homes
Labour has promised £13.2bn in grants and low-interest loans over the next five years to help meet the 2030 deadline, with a target to upgrade five million homes.
Actis UK and Ireland sales director Mark Cooper said: “More than 25% of the UK’s housing stock is more than a century old.
“It makes financial sense to ensure that the existing building fabric is as energy efficient as possible – and with rising energy prices the need has become more urgent. For so many people faced with the choice of heating or eating, it is imperative that they are made as energy efficient as possible.
“Insulation is generally among the most cost-effective and long-lasting measures and, as well as tackling the cost-of-living crisis, a reduction in energy use is good for the environment.”
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