The government has set out two significant policy developments aimed at improving energy efficiency across the housing sector, with clear implications for landlords and the private rented market.
Taken together, the announcements underline the government’s continued focus on reducing energy bills, cutting emissions and improving housing standards, while stopping short of confirming exact timelines or enforcement mechanisms.
Warm Homes Plan places renewed focus on rented properties
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has outlined the government’s Warm Homes Plan, which is intended to improve the energy efficiency of millions of homes and reduce fuel poverty.
The plan includes a £15 billion commitment to upgrade up to five million properties by 2030, with the stated aim of helping up to one million households out of fuel poverty. Measures include a £7,500 universal heat pump grant, alongside government-backed loans and incentives for solar panels and other energy-saving improvements.
While the proposals are framed around household energy costs and environmental goals, the messaging makes clear that landlords will be expected to play a role in delivering warmer, more efficient rental homes. Ministers have stressed the responsibility of property owners to ensure rented accommodation is safe, warm and affordable to heat.
However, key details - including eligibility for financial support, how improvements will be prioritised and how obligations may differ across tenures - have still to be confirmed.
EPC reforms set to reshape how energy performance is measured
Alongside the Warm Homes Plan, the government has also confirmed that Energy Performance Certificates will be reformed from 2026.
The proposed changes are intended to modernise EPCs so they provide a clearer and more accurate picture of a property’s energy performance. While full legislation has not yet been published, consultations have suggested changes to the way EPC ratings are calculated, how information is presented, and how often certificates may need to be updated.
These reforms sit within the wider context of previous proposals to raise minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector, including long-term ambitions to move rental properties towards higher EPC ratings.
What this means for landlords now
Together, the Warm Homes Plan and EPC reform point to a policy environment that increasingly ties rental compliance to energy efficiency and tenant cost-of-living, while timing and detailed requirements are still emerging:
- Expect clearer and stricter performance benchmarks over the next year.
- Plan for investment in energy upgrades, which may be supported by grants and loans but could also require capital from landlords.
- Engage with professional assessors early to understand where your portfolio stands and what improvements will cost.
