Government must address retrofit skills gap

A retrofitting skills gap will impact the Government's proposed reforms to the way EPCs are calculated, the NRLA has warned.

In response to a Government consultation on plans to introduce the new Home Energy Model (HEM) benchmarking, the NRLA has pointed out that the Government’s proposed approach would need extensive additional training of EPC assessors to ensure the new Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) regime works effectively.

We believe an increase in demand for assessors could create a ‘bottleneck’ meaning the existing – and limited – supply of qualified assessors is put under additional strain.

Consultation

A consultation, launched by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ), is calling on stakeholders to provide their views on proposed changes to how EPC ratings are determined. They say these new metrics will help owner occupiers, landlords and renters better understand fabric performance and their heating systems, as well suggesting practical improvements they can make to improve their properties’ energy efficiency. 

The consultation follows the recent news that DESNZ has delayed the introduction of the new EPC regime until the second half of 2027, following “engagement with industry on the delivery timeline”.

Addressing the skills gap

Ben Beadle, NRLA chief executive said: "We recognise how crucial it is for the private rented sector to boost its energy efficiency, but the Government needs to be pragmatic when choosing the steps it wants to take to make this happen. 

“If it doesn’t address the ‘retrofitting skills gap’ – the shortfall in those retrofitting professionals qualified to uphold EPC benchmarks – its changes to energy efficiency benchmarks are unlikely to succeed.”

If you’d like to read the NRLA’s response to the Government’s consultation you can download it in its entirety here.