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Volume V olume o 56 | Issue 1 | J January anuary 2018
New N ew limit limit p proposed roposed o on n llandlord andlord energy energy upgrades upgrades There are There are fears fears that that tenants tenants could could miss miss out out on on much much needed needed energy energy saving saving measures measures following following Government G overnment p plans lans tto o cap cap the the a amount mount tthat hat llandlords andlords n need eed tto os spend pend tto o bring bring p properties roperties u up p tto os scratch. cratch. From 1st From 1 st April, April, private private landlords landlords in in England England and Wales Wales will w ill be be prohibited prrohibited from from letting lett ing and proper t ies w it h a n e nerg y p er for mance properties with an energy performance certificate below, certificate of of ‘F’ ‘F’ or or b elow, but but the the Department Department for Business, Energy for B usiness, E nerg y & IIndustrial ndust r ial Strategy St rateg y (BEIS) (BEIS) has has launched launched a c consultation onsultation on on how how much money money landlords landlords should should be be required required to to much spend order ensure spend iin no rder tto oe nsure tthat hat their their properties properties reach tthe he required required standard. standard. reach The would need The money money tthat hat llandlords andlords w ould ne ed to an energy to sspend pend on on a ne nerg y efficiency efficiency upgrade upg rade was was originally or ig inally sset et at at a cost cost limit limit of of £5000, £5000, but be but it it is is now now proposed proposed tthat hat tthis h is b e rreduced educed to half amount. The cost-cap means to h alf tthat hat a mount. T he c ost-cap m eans domestic pr operties tthat hat c annot b eb rought domestic properties cannot be brought up tto om inimum e nerg y e fficiency sstandards tandards up minimum energy efficiency (MEES) (MEES) with with a £2500 £2500 investment investment may may entitle entitle landlords landlords to to apply apply for for an an exemption. exemption. It estimated are 280,000 It iis se stimated tthat hat tthere here a re ssome ome 2 80,000 properties England and Wales with EPC properties iin nE ngland a nd W ales w ith E PC ratings off ‘‘F’ and However, according ratings o F’ a nd ‘‘G’. G’. H owever, a ccording tto o the Government’s Government’s o wn impact impact assessment, assessment, the own limiting limiting the the cost-cap cost-cap to to £2500 £2500 would would see see only only
30% 30% of of these these brought brought up up to to the the legal legal minimum minimum standard by 2020. minimum coststan ndard b y2 020. In In contrast, contrast, a m inimum c ostcap cap of of £5000, £5000, originally originally mooted mooted last last August, August, would 42% homes uplifted. would ssee ee 4 2% of of h omes u plifted. The The Government Government devised devised the the idea idea of of a costcostcap off iits Green cap after after the the demise demise o ts G reen Deal, Deal, which which would would have have enabled enabled llandlords andlords tto o iimprove mprove tthe he efficiency off ttheir properties without any up efficiency o heir pr operties w ithout a ny u p front cost front c ost to to themselves. themselves. Campaigners Campaigners and and industry industry groups groups have have
accused Government off w watering down accused tthe he G overnment o atering d own plans protect vulnerable and cut plans tto o pr otect v ulnerable ttenants enants a nd c ut carbon emissions. Max Wakefield 10:10 carbon e missions. M ax W akefield ffrom rom 1 0:10 Climate cost-cap and Climate Action Action ssays ays tthe he c ost-cap iis s ttoo oo llow ow a nd shows shows that that the the Government Government is is prioritising prioritising the the interests off llandlords. interests o andlords. ““Hundreds Hundreds of of thousands thousands of when, of renters renters will will now now be be left left wondering wondering w hen, if if ever, ever, they they can can expect expect to to live live in in a decent decent home,” he home,” h e ssays. ays. Joanne Wade, Chief Executive off tthe Joanne W ade, C hief E xecut ive o he Association Conservation off E Energy, Association ffor or tthe he C onser vation o nerg y, adds: alternative off a £ £5000 cap adds: ““The The a lternative o 5000 c ap would would double average energy bill double tthe he a verage e nerg y b ill ssavings av ing s ffor or tenants and 35,000 more homes tenants a nd enable enable 3 5,0 000 m ore h omes tto o be be brought brought up up to to the t he minimum minimum standard.” standard.” Many Many llandlord andlord groups g roups have have welcomed welcomed the the decision decision tto o rreduce educe the the cost-cap. cost-cap. Richard Richard Jones, consultant att the Jones, a c onsultant a t he Residential Resident ial Landlords Landlords Association, Association, believes believes the the higher higher £5000 would have £50 0 0 llimit imit w ould h ave ttranslated ranslated into into higher higher rent rent rises rises for for tenants. tenants. He says: says: “This “This is is welcome welcome news news for for tenants, tenants, as as it it will will mean mean costs costs being being kept kept down.” dow n.”
Connection C onnection b between etween CO CO and and fuel fuel poverty poverty New research New research has has found found that t hat fuel f uel poor poor h ouseholds a re a l so a reater rrisk isk ffrom rom households are also att g greater carbon c arbon monoxide monoxide ((CO) CO) p poisoning. oisoning. C Carried ar r ied out o ut b by y fuel fuel poverty poverty charity charity National National Energy Energ y Action A ction ((NEA), NEA), the the research research recorded recorded elevated elevated CO C O levels levels greater g reater than t ha n 1 10ppm 0ppm in in 35% 35% of of monitored m onitored homes. homes. Above Above this t his threshold, t hreshold, pr olonged e x p o su r e c an h ave n egat ive prolonged exposure can have negative health h ealt h effects. effects. Low L ow income income h households ouseholds iin n tthe he sstudy tudy w were ere more m ore llikely ikely tto ob be e rreliant eliant on on gas gas fires fires to to keep keep w arm. These These appliances appliances were were generally generally older older warm. and a nd unmaintained. unmaintained. In In one one example, example, fuel f uel p oor private pr ivate renters renters in in Leeds Leeds recorded recorded 361 361 poor h igher C O readings reading s over over a period per iod of of only only higher CO ttwo wo m months. onths. T The he o occupants ccupants w were ere u using sing ttheir heir g as fire fire for for h eating b ecause tthey hey c ould n ot gas heating because could not
afford tto afford o rrun un tthe he c central ent ral h heating. eat ing. No C CO O alarm a la r m h had ad b been een fi fitted tted iin n ttheir heir h homes. omes. Some S ome people people lliving iving iin np poor oor quality quality housing housing are a re a also l so u using sing ttheir heir gas gas cookers cookers for for rroom oom h eat ing. In In one one example, example, a p ensioner o v er heating. pensioner over 75 7 5 and and living living alone alone w was as ssuffering uffer ing from from b bad ad headaches h eadaches u until nt il h her er g gas as w wall all h heater eater was was iidentified dent ified a as s a ssource ource of of CO CO poisoning poisoning and and condemned. c ondemned. U Unable nable tto oa afford fford a replacement, rep e lacement, sshe he now now uses uses her her gas gas oven oven for for warmth. war mt h. JJuliette uliette B Burroughs, urroughs, P Policy olicy A Analyst nalyst a att N NEA EA and and tthe he report’s report’s author, author, comments: comments: “It “It is is hugely hugely concerning c oncerning that that the the most most vulnerable vulnerable members members off our o our ssociety ociety a are re living living in in cold cold homes homes that that tthey hey are are attempting attempting to to heat heat using using old old and and unsafe u nsafe appliances appliances w which hich c can an iincrease ncrease C CO O rrisk. isk. ““NEA NEA calls calls on on policymakers policymakers and and industry industry to to
d o more, more, including including joining joining up up fuel fue u l poverty poverty and and do C O safety safety initiatives, initiat atives, supporting supporting households households CO o n tthe he llowest owest incomes incomes to to replace replace old old and and on rrisky isky heating heatting appliances, appliances, and and promoting promoting gas gas ssuppliers’ uppliers’ Priority Pr ior it y Services Ser vices Registers Reg isters as as a pathway gas checks.” p athway to to free free g as ssafety afet y c hecks.” C Chris hr is B Bielby, ielby, C Chair ha i r o off tthe he G Gas as S Safety afet y T Trust, r ust, which which funded f unded tthe he rresearch, esearch, ssays: ays: ““The The llatest atest iindustry ndust r y data data on on domestic domest ic CO CO iincidents ncidents sshows hows ffour our d eat hs ffrom rom a cute deaths acute C CO Op poisoning, oisoning, all all caused caused by by a lack lack of of gas g as appliance poor orr a ppliance sservicing, er v icing, p oor ventilation vent ilat ion o where w here flues flues have hav ve become become blocked. blocked. All All of of the the v victims ictims w were ere over over 60. 60. We We support support the the report’s report’s and rrecommendations ecommendations a nd call call on on Government Government and Ofgem work with gas a nd O fgem tto ow ork w it h tthe he g as iindustry ndust r y tto o join join u p action act ion o n ffuel uel p o v er t y a nd C O.” up on poverty and CO.”
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