Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the average cost to holiday let owners of securing and maintaining an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C; and what steps he is taking to mitigate adverse impacts on small, rural and tourism-dependent businesses.

The recent consultation on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector sought views on whether short-term lets should be included in the scope of our proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030, to help ensure a consistent standard across all private rented properties.

No final decisions have been made and a Government response will be published in due course. The Government has proposed to maintain a range of exemptions available to landlords to ensure that the required investment is fair and proportionate. We remain committed to taking an evidence-based approach and ensuring that we deliver our net zero commitments whilst supporting small, rural and tourism-dependant businesses to thrive.