On its consultation page, the government declared that it continued to work at “pace” to deliver its reforms, but after engaging with the industry about its timeline to roll out the changes, it had been decided that the launch would need to be pushed back.
When the October date was originally revealed, the government itself declared it to be “ambitious”.
It added: “We will work with industry and the devolved administrations to agree a new launch date and shared implementation plan by the summer of this year.”
The reforms include what is measured during an EPC assessment to produce a property’s rating and when a certificate will be required.
Currently, a single cost metric is used to calculate a property’s rating, which ranges from A, the most efficient, to G, the least. However, in the government’s partial response to the reform proposals, it said changing this method to include four measurements – energy cost, fabric performance, heating system and smart readiness – would provide “clearer and more useful information to consumers”.
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Other changes to the EPC regime include the requirement for a valid EPC to be provided for a whole house of multiple occupation (HMO) when a single room is let, for short-term rental properties irrespective of who pays energy bills, and the removal of exemptions for heritage properties.
These changes, said the government, will provide greater consistency across the private rented sector, supporting landlords and tenants alike to better understand the energy performance of their buildings and to identify appropriate opportunities to improve them.
