From April 1 the Government’s Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards came into force.
This means renters may be able to save up to £1,150 a year on their energy bills.
Landlords will now have to improve the energy efficiency of their properties and risk facing fines of up to £5,000 if they don’t.
The new scheme is designed to improve the insulation of rented homes in England and Wales.
The changes mean that properties have to have a minimum Energy Performance Certificate rating of E.
The certificate ranks properties’ energy efficiency from A – the most well insulated and energy-saving homes – to G, which is the worst.
The new rules will initially apply to only new tenancies and renewals before extending to all existing tenancies by 2020 – and means that landlords will no longer be able to legally rent out homes with an EPC rating of F or G.
The new rules aim to make living conditions for renters, particularly vulnerable tenants, in the private sector much better as well as reducing energy bills.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, says that the average energy bill cost for those living in a band G home is £2,860, compared to just £1,170 for those living in a band E property.
