Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has plans to further increase Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings for rental properties to band C for existing tenants in 2025 and for new tenants in 2028; what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of that increase on the supply of private rented housing as a result of affected landlords potentially leaving the sector; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential for damage to older properties with original features as a result of the work necessary to meet that increased EPC rating.

The Department recently consulted on raising the energy performance standards in the domestic private rented sector to EPC band C for new tenancies from 2025 and all tenancies by 2028. As part of the consultation, we sought evidence on the possible impacts of the policy on the size of the private rented sector and on listed buildings and those in conservation areas. We are currently analysing the responses and will be publishing the Government response in due course.