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An On the wire story
King Charles III and Prince William could face substantial bills as new government energy-efficiency rules begin to bite on the rental homes held across their private estates. According to the UK government, private rented properties in England and Wales will need to reach at least an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C by 1 October 2030, lifting the bar from the current minimum of E and bringing thousands of landlords into scope for costly upgrades.
The scale of the task appears significant on royal land. Data cited on the King’s Sandringham estate by The Guardian suggests that most of the 150 homes surveyed there currently sit in the lower EPC bands, while the Duchy of Lancaster is reported to have an average of 90% of its properties below a C rating.
The Duchy of Cornwall is also understood to have about 80% of its residential portfolio below the same threshold, with some estimates putting the combined cost of improvements in the millions of pounds.
The policy is intended to improve living standards as well as cut emissions. The government says the changes are designed to tackle fuel poverty, and its impact assessment says raising minimum standards to an EPC C could lift up to 415,000 households out of fuel poverty by 2030. Ministers have also said landlords will need to consider measures such as insulation, double glazing and better heating systems to meet the new requirements.
For the royal estates, that means a practical clash between heritage and modern energy policy. Many of the homes are centuries old and will need sensitive retrofitting, including work by specialist builders, to preserve their character while improving efficiency.
Yet the push to upgrade them also fits awkwardly and neatly with the public roles of both men: King Charles has long presented himself as an environmental advocate, while Prince William champions conservation through the Earthshot Prize.
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• This On the wire article was created using Noahwire AI and reviewed by CIBSE Journal’s editorial team
