A new European Union directive was issued that gives member states three years to introduce rules that will require landlords to issue energy saving certificates on properties when they are first constructed, and then every time they are sold or let. Certificates will be valid for 10 years.
Developers will be able to offset the cost on sale prices, whereas those in the letting sectors, including social landlords, will have to absorb the costs in other ways. Some estimates put the likely cost implication at £250 per certificate, which could add up to as much as £40 million per year to be found by social landlords.
Alternative and more economic approaches have been suggested, including compliance with the EU directive by embedding energy efficiency assessments into the Decent Homes Standard.
The issue of the directive came at the same time that the Energy Saving Trust was raising concerns about the failure of social landlords to implement home insulation programmes. It estimates that some 40% of social landlords have not fully insulated their homes. The Trust has published new research that, for example, suggests there could be a saving of £271 million to tenants if social landlords installed cavity wall insulation in every property.
