Do you rent and want to improve your home's energy efficiency?

Former_MSE_Aileen · 22 August 2014 at 2:02PM

The government wants to make it easier for tenants in England and Wales to ask for energy efficiency improvements to their home. So they're making it harder for landlords to be able to refuse flat-out, which is what they can do now.

You can read the full consultation but as it's 60 pages we have summarised key points below. You can answer as many or as few questions you like, or you can just give your thoughts on their proposals. Email these to consultation.coordinator@decc.gsi.gov.uk by Tue 2 Sep and you can also share them by posting a reply.

Key points

The government has proposed that landlords will not be able to refuse energy efficiency improvements you request if you meet all of the criteria:

you rent privately (ie excluding social housing)
you have an Energy Performance Certificate for your home (the landlord may have one of these already) or a Green Deal assessment or a qualified surveyor's report (again, the landlord may have one of these)
the landlord won't have to pay for these improvements (it will either be paid by you or will be funded by government schemes - examples below)

Examples of government funding are a Green Deal finance plan, the Energy Company Obligation scheme (includes when energy providers pay for improvements) or a grant from your local authority.

You would then have to give evidence to your landlord that they won't have to pay for it and you have one of the documents showing that the improvements will be beneficial (ie an EPC, Green Deal assessment or surveyor's report).

There would be certain circumstances when the landlord could refuse the request even if all the above is met (eg you've made a request in the last year or the landlord offers an alternative which will make the home just as energy efficient). The government hasn't thought of all the circumstances when this could happen, but it instead proposes to look at them on a case-by-case basis.

Questions

Do you think the criteria is fair or are there any changes you would make? Could landlords do more?
What do you think about having to give evidence?
Do you think it's fair that the landlord could still refuse in certain circumstances? Do you think it should be on a case-by-case basis or should there be any blanket rules?
Any other thoughts?

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Former_MSE_Aileen · 27 August 2014 at 9:40AM

bump as it's Wednesday!

Smiley_Dan · 27 August 2014 at 12:06PM

Why, do we only save energy on a Wednesday now?

lstar337 · 27 August 2014 at 2:05PM

MSE_Aileen wrote: »

[*]the landlord won't have to pay for these improvements (it will either be paid by you or will be funded by government schemes - examples below)

So it's just another case of tenants and government paying to upgrade cheap-!!! landlords properties?

Pass.

Joyful · 27 August 2014 at 7:20PM

I disagree. Many Landlords may find it harder to let their properties once the Green deal is in Place. Would be tenants will only see the extra weekly charge for the electric. As they were not in before any energy efficiency measures they will not see it the same way as the previous tenants did.

If it was like the Eco scheme that no charge is passed to the tenants then the Landlord should not be able to stop this unless they have proof it would be detrimental to the property.

actd · 27 August 2014 at 10:32PM

As a landlord of a single property in Scotland, I was delighted that my tenant was able to get the central heating upgraded at no cost to myself - I can't see why a landlord wouldn't agree to improvements. Let me stress, I have spent quite a bit over the last few months on repairs and improvements - as far as I am concerned, it is keeping my property in good order, and I'm treating my tenant in the way that I would want to be treated if I was a tenant. My managing agent has instructions from me that for small repairs (up to £100), they don't even need to ask me - they just get it done as quickly as possible.

All in all, my tenant, my managing agent and I have a very successful arrangement. My tenant seems happy to stay for the long term (which in itself saves me money), my managing agent has an easier job, and I have a good long term investment both in terms of income and property value.

lstar337 · 28 August 2014 at 11:55AM

actd wrote: »

I have spent quite a bit over the last few months on repairs and improvements - as far as I am concerned, it is keeping my property in good order, and I'm treating my tenant in the way that I would want to be treated if I was a tenant.

Sounds like you are one of the good ones, which I am lucky to have now too.

Some are just awful though! A previous landlord I had wouldn't even fix things let alone upgrade. They don't care if you move on because where I live there are always waiting tenants and a lot of them a foreign workers and don't care about poor living conditions. This flat was an absolute atrocity, but it was let within 2 days of us leaving.

pjsmiffy · 28 August 2014 at 8:54PM

I am a single property landlord in Wales.
I manage the propriety myself and am on great terms with my tenants.
I managed to get the boiler changed to a eco one for the cost of upgrading the gas supply to the boiler and other fitting costs. (Boiler FREE) thanks to the guy I had do the boiler service.
I am willing to let the tenants make most alterations that a homeowner in early 60s would want to.
The rules I have are.
Nothing that negativity effects value.
Not in convention of planning etc.
It costs me little or nothing.

marleyboy · 28 August 2014 at 9:09PM

Why would a landlord refuse flat out for his property to have an energy efficiency improvement? Particularly if it does not cost them anything and could only add to the value of the property.

My LL jumped at the chance to have it done and who could blame him, it was a free upgrade in his book.

alixandrea · 29 August 2014 at 9:30AM

The government has proposed that landlords will not be able to refuse energy efficiency improvements you request if you meet all of the criteria:

.....

[*]the landlord won't have to pay for these improvements (it will either be paid by you or will be funded by government schemes - examples below)
[/LIST]

Examples of government funding are a Green Deal finance plan, the Energy Company Obligation scheme (includes when energy providers pay for improvements) or a grant from your local authority.

***You would then have to give evidence to your landlord that they won't have to pay for it***

Questions
Do you think the criteria is fair or are there any changes you would make? Could landlords do more?

What do you think about having to give evidence?

Do you think it's fair that the landlord could still refuse in certain circumstances? Do you think it should be on a case-by-case basis or should there be any blanket rules?

Any other thoughts?

Surely a landlord *would* end up paying for some of the works if a Green Deal loan payment with repayment via the energy bills, if the tenant left before that had all been paid back? Unless a new tenant is found quickly enough. How will tenants be protected from landlords insisting on a 'buy-out' if they move before the Green Deal loan has been paid off?

Alixandrea

Former_MSE_Aileen · 29 August 2014 at 4:43PM

Hi Alixandrea

That's a good point and this was raised with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (who are running the consultation) in a webinar last week. The point that was raised was:
"[There's] no impact except when [the property is] not void, when void landlord pays electric and green deal contribution".

Their response to this was:
"Whilst this is true, average void periods are very short and, in addition, academic research has indicated that a property value will increase through the installation of energy efficiency measures which will be a gain to the landlord."

It would still be good if you raised this with them by email though if you can, to show that more people are concerned about this.

There wouldn't necessarily be a 'buy out' as such, as the repayments are only on the predicted savings from the improvements - there's no increase in payments made on energy bills. So rather than seeing a reduction in bills from the energy saved, they would remain the same and the saving goes to paying back the finance.

You're right that if a tenant leaves, it would be the responsibility of the landlord to pay the energy bills in between finding a new tenant. The bills may be low as there is no usage, but there is still a daily standing charge. Though this is regardless of whether there is a Green Deal finance attached or not. The finance is also attached to the property, not the owner (or tenant).

If you haven't seen it already, you may find our Green Deal mythbuster useful:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/green-deal.

Hope this helps, have tried to cover all possible bases

Do you rent and want to improve your home's energy efficiency?

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