Credit: iStock – Highwaystarz-Photography
The government has relaxed the deadline for social housing landlords to meet its new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) for the sector.
In a consultation, carried out last year, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) proposed that social landlords should meet Energy Performance Certificate Band C on two metrics by 2030 to be considered compliant with the new MEES for the sector.
However, in its response to the consultation, announced on 1 April, the MHCLG said social properties will only have to meet one EPC metric by April 2030 to comply with the MEES, unless a valid exemption applies.
Landlords will then have to meet a second of the metrics – which cover fabric performance, smart readiness and heating systems – by April 2039.
In its response, the government says staggering the compliance dates ‘strikes a balance’ between making ‘significant improvements’ for tenants while giving the social housing sector time to plan upgrades, such as heat pumps and solar panels.
