Energy Efficiency: Roadmap vital to hit 2030 energy targets

A new cross-sector report has warned skills, finance and a clear delivery plan are needed to turn UK Government's energy efficiency ambitions into reality

We have joined forces with the Energy Saving Trust to call for a clear implementation roadmap for energy efficiency reforms, giving landlords, tenants, lenders, installers and councils the confidence to prepare for the new standards, according to experts across the sector. In a joined briefing we have set out how the UK Government’s ambitions can be delivered successfully within the tight timeframe it has set.

Five priorities

The briefing identifies five priorities for successful delivery:

• Greater installer and skills capacity – giving businesses certainty over future demand to support investment in training and apprenticeships, alongside strong quality assurance.
• Practical and accessible finance – working with lenders to support early investment and ensure publicly funded improvements deliver fair outcomes for tenants.
• Clear and trusted advice – ensuring the Warm Homes Agency provides consistent, impartial and tailored information for landlords and tenants.
• Stronger enforcement and consumer protection – simplifying complaints and redress and properly resourcing local authorities to enforce the standards.
• Tenant engagement and protection – providing clear communication and tailored support, particularly for vulnerable households.

Parlimentary Roundtable

The publication of the document follows a Parliamentary roundtable chaired by Clive Betts MP, the former long-standing housing select committee chair.

It together representatives from the NRLA, the Energy Saving Trust, and ten other organisations working across housing, consumer protection, energy efficiency, finance and local government.

While welcoming the direction provided by the UK Government’s Warm Homes Plan and the revised approach to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) in the private rented sector it warns that, with the deadline only four years away, ambition alone will not deliver warmer homes, lower bills and better living conditions for tenants.

Deadlines ‘just around the corner’

Our chief executive Ben Beadle said: “Landlords want to provide homes that are warmer, cheaper to heat and fit for the future. The changes announced by the Government earlier this year have made the proposed framework more workable. The challenge now is making sure it can actually be delivered.

“2030 may sound some way off, but in retrofit terms it is just around the corner. If investment is left until the final years, we risk a scramble for installers, finance and advice that drives up costs and makes the Government’s targets harder to achieve.”

Turning ambition into reality

Clive Betts MP, who chaired the roundtable, said: “Improving the energy efficiency of the rental housing stock is a vital part of the Government’s mission to address cost-of-living pressures and improve conditions across the sector.

“Ministers now need to turn welcome ambitions into reality on the ground. The proposals being published today would achieve that and I urge the Government to take the recommendations seriously.”

Stew Horne, group head of sector intelligence and external affairs at the Energy Saving Trust, said: “New energy efficiency standards for the private rented sector are an important step towards upgrading privately rented homes to make them warmer and more efficient for renters.

“To ensure successful delivery of these standards, it is essential that the right support is in place for both landlords and tenants.

“Access to green finance products, such as low-cost loans, will support landlords to invest in their properties, alongside tailored, in-depth advice to help them navigate the requirements and identify suitable measures. Tenants should also have access to the guidance and support they need to operate low carbon technologies once installed."

You can download the full briefing by clicking the buttom below.

More information

• To access our MEES hub, where you can find out more about your responsibilities and available funding click here.
• Our award-winning training academy runs an Energy Efficiency and MEES Compliance course. For more information and to book click here.