Energy Efficiency – the Impact on Tenants

  • From 1st April, all new rental leases and renewals of tenancies will be required to have an energy performance rating of at least E on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). For existing tenancies, the regulations come into force on 1st April 2020.
  • The majority of landlords are well prepared, but we calculate that around 7% of properties let in 2017 still need to be brought up to the standard required. Best prepared are London landlords where just 4.9% of properties let last year were lower than an E rating, while in the South West more than 10% of properties did not meet the standard.
  • We wondered how much tenants are prepared to pay for energy efficiency. Properties across England and Wales let in 2017 with an energy performance rating of E achieved 3.1% more per square foot than properties let with an F or G rating. On an 800 square foot property, this equates to an average of £360 per year.
  • At the top of the scale, properties with an A or B rating achieved, on average, 31% more per square foot than F and G rated properties in 2017. On an 800 square foot property, this equates to an average premium of £3,600 per year.
  • For an in-depth look at the average EPC of properties across West Oxfordshire, have a look at our earlier blog on the subject at West Oxon Energy Efficiency20180129-EPC_Graphic