MEES should not stall because of dithering, and other Government policies.
The Property Energy Professionals Association (PEPA) has expressed disappointment in Michael Gove’s comments at the weekend that the Government ‘is asking too much too quickly’ with the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) in the private rented sector. With no announcement from the Government on the implementation date of a minimum EPC rating of ‘C’ for over two years following their consultation in 2021, what the Government ‘is asking’ is not yet clear, which makes it difficult to understand on what grounds acting ‘too quickly’ is based. The apparent dithering on this issue is not helping any party involved in improving the energy efficiency of the private rented sector to help address the issue of fuel poverty, and exorbitant energy prices.
Andrew Parkin, PEPA Chair commented: ‘Aside from the imperative of improving the energy performance of all properties in the UK to achieve Government Net Zero targets, the hiatus caused by the lack of clarity on the implementation date of a minimum EPC rating of ‘C’ has left landlords up in the air in terms of when, and to what extent, to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Similarly, Energy Assessors, Retrofit Advisors, Energy Efficiency measure Installers and Manufacturers are unable to plan for the future, which is adversely affecting their businesses. If, as Michael Gove suggests, further implementation of MEES is held up, this will impede current improvement work, reduce business confidence to invest in products and skills necessary for the green economy, and undermine the credibility of future Government announcements about MEES.’
PEPA notes that Michael Gove acknowledges that ‘landlords face so much’ at the present, but much of what they face is as a result of other Government policies, many of which emanate from DLUHC, Michael Gove’s own department. It can be strongly argued that priorities are wrong when the climate change agenda should be made subservient to other issues. Arguably, as suggested by NRLA, it is up to Government to provide a fair financial package for landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. This would detach this issue from the other issues that landlords face.