Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what criteria his Department is using to define smart readiness for the purposes of the secondary compliance metric under the proposed new EPC framework for private rented properties; and what estimate he has made of the typical cost to a landlord of meeting that criterion.

Landlords in the private rented sector are expected to comply with minimum energy efficiency standards by meeting EPC C against the Fabric Performance metric and then EPC C against either the Smart Readiness or Heating System metric.

The Home Energy Model: Energy Performance Certificate consultation sought views on how smart readiness should be defined, including the role of technologies such as solar photovoltaic systems, battery storage and smart meters.

The government is currently reviewing consultation responses and will publish its response later this year. An estimate of costs based on the policy proposals consulted on was set out in the PRS MEES impact assessment published on 16 January.