Renters overpaying due to poor energy efficiency

A new scheme is being launched from next April requiring landlords to have an Energy Performance Certificate with a minimum rating of E. This has been brought about after it was revealed that many renters are overpaying their energy bills, with as much as £13 million being overpaid in total per month! This amounts to an average of £612 during a year, a number that landlords have a legal duty to take responsibility for.

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Fines for landlords

Starting next April, landlords could be fined up to £5,000 if there isn’t an improvement in their property’s energy efficiency. The insurance company, Axa reported that more than 200,000 properties are facing an “excess cold hazard” for those homes that fall into a rating of F and G bands. When the new legislation comes into force, these properties are at danger of having a rental ban imposed on them. On average, homes from the F and G bands are nearly double the amount per month than those in band A. According to the Independent newspaper, analysis from the Chartered Institute of Housing finds that as much as a third of rented homes won’t meet the government’s decency standards for improving housing.

Rental Improvements

The study found that some action has been taken by many landlords with homes from F and G, contributing to properties from this band being halved in 2015. More good news comes in the disclosure that more than half of the tenants Axa interviewed are in the A to C bands. It further revealed that 69 per cent had an energy-efficient boiler, 57 per cent had roof insulation, and more than 70 per cent of rental properties have double glazing, such as those with Double Glazing in Leicester.

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Ways to lower your energy consumption

There are a variety of ways to help lower your fuel bills, including insulating your walls and roof, turning off your appliances and lights, and changing your energy supplier. If your property has single-pane window glass, companies such as http://www.absolutewindowsolutions.co.uk/ offer help to ensure the windows in your property are updated so you don’t lose heat over the winter.

On the whole, Axa found, many landlords are updating and investing more frequently in their homes for tenants. Despite failures existing within the market, most landlords are doing the right thing and improving their rental housing.

Connell
The author is an expert on occupational training and a prolific writer who writes extensively on Business, technology, and education. He can be contacted for professional advice in matters related with occupation and training on his blog Communal Business and Your Business Magazine.