After Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a rollback on plans to force landlords and homeowners to spend ‘substantial sums of money’ on energy efficiency improvements to homes, there’s been something of a mixed response. A housing associations body has branded the move ‘hugely disappointing’, whilst landlords - who would have been expected to pay up to £10,000 to upgrade their properties to ECP P ratings by 2025 - have welcomed no longer having to meet the new targets. 

Instead, Sunak’s announcement means households will have significantly more time to install heat pumps or alternative forms of low carbon alternatives. Now, only 80% of gas boilers are expected to have been phased out by 2035. ‘We will never force anyone to rip out their existing boiler and replace it with a heat pump,’ Sunak said. ‘You’ll only ever have to make the switch when you’re replacing your boiler anyway - and even then, not until 2035.’ 

Going forward, landlords won’t have to pay out immediately, but there’s been criticism due to the fact renters will be facing higher costs to heat poorly insulated properties. The National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations in England, has warned that scrapping targets ‘could lead to people facing higher bills for years to come’. Indeed, the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said the change in the planned legislation could cost UK households almost £8 billion more in bills over the course of the next decade. 

There will, however, be increased support through the boiler upgrade scheme, which will provide a grant to at least partly cover the cost of replacing a gas boiler with a biomass boiler or heat pump. Sunak announced that grants will be increased by 50%, allowing people to access up to £7,500. Meanwhile, Octopus Energy has even offered to install heat pumps for free when utilising this government support.

Ultimately, this is, of course, welcome news, but overall not everyone is happy with these sets of announcements. National Housing Federation chief executive Kate Hendeson said, ‘It’s hugely disappointing to see the government row back from its commitments to net zero, particularly on improving the energy efficiency of our homes. Making homes more energy efficient is a win-win, not only helping our planet, but also boosting our economy by creating jobs and, crucially, saving money.’

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, do let us know in the comments section. As always, your comments are greatly appreciated... 

Sources: The Times, LondonLovesProperty 

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