It’s my day off so the Govt has announced its new minimum energy efficiency standards #MEES. Only 8 years since the Conservative Govt flagged they’re needed. 🧵 on initial news and thoughts.
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The #MEES wd require landlords to meet a fabric standard through installing measures such as loft #insulation, cavity wall insulation or double glazing, before moving on to a range of other options including batteries, solar panels and smart meters.
The sector will be particularly interested in how that standard is defined. It’s a challenging time as the calculation method behind #EPCs is changing in the coming few years, and Govt is currently consulting separately on changes to how standards are defined (& we think their proposal is right one)
I should also say that those additional, later measures are interesting if they’re not included in the calculation of the fabric performance. And I worry how a survey can capture tenant is fully benefiting. 🤔
They propose a maximum cap of £15,000 per property for landlords, with support currently available from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and Warm Homes: Local Grant which begins delivery this year. This level feels like it’s set around the average cost for meeting the current SAP C
Also an affordability exemption, lowering the cost cap to £10k based on lower rents or council tax band. Sounds hard to implement - how to have certainty of lower rents over the longer term, no certainty that those mean tenants can/will keep home warm; & council tax data not open data = ⬆️ admin cost
There is already admin associated with proving a landlord has spent up to the cap. I don't think adding on proof of council tax band or current rent level would be much of a problem.
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