Private rented homes found to be least energy efficient

A new study released by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) has identified the private rented sector as the worst offender in terms of carbon emissions. This is despite the overall number of energy inefficient homes in the UK decreasing, as more home owners modernise their properties to reduce their energy bills and improve their home insurance prospects.

The government-funded organisation surveyed homes rated F or G for energy performance, and found these properties were twice as common in the private rented sector. In the nation as a whole, GreenWise found that properties in these bands dropped by five per cent - from 22 per cent of homes in 2006 to 17 per cent in 2008.

According to the Trust, the least energy efficient G-rated homes can produce more than 22 tonnes of CO2 per year, compared to the five tonnes emitted by the average UK home over the same period.

David Weatherall, Housing Strategy manager for the EST, explained: "On the whole our study is good news.

"Most F and G rated homes can be improved very cost effectively, for less than £3,000. That's less than two percent of the sale price of the average UK home."

However, he also noted that the problem was more pronounced in the private rented sector, where "there are some F and G banded homes that are going to cost more to bring up to a decent standard.

"They're particularly large old homes that may not have had much investment over the years - and they often use old style heating systems and old style fuels."

There are many options available for landlords looking to improve the energy-efficiency of properties they are letting out, including grants such as the Landlord's Energy Saving Allowance (LESA) that allow landlords to claim up to £1,500 against energy saving initiatives, such as installing insulation, that can also reduce their home insurance quotes.

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:24:00 GMT