BPF Spotlight Series: MEES
💡 This BPF Spotlight focuses on the Government's consultation on new minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) for the domestic private rented sector (PRS).
We caught up with Rob Wall, our sustainability lead, to find out more about the regulations, understand what the Government's proposing and hear what members are saying.
❓ What are MEES?
🗣️ MEES stands for the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards regulations. These set minimum energy performance standards for the PRS in England and Wales.
There're different regulations for the domestic and non-domestic PRS. For the domestic PRS, the regulations require privately rented properties to achieve a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E. This applies to both new and existing tenancies.
A landlord can apply for an exemption from the MEES regulations on certain grounds, such as if the improvements required to bring a home up to EPC E would be too expensive or devalue the property, or if they can't get consent to the necessary improvements.
❓ Why's Government consulting?
🗣️ The Government made a manifesto commitment to require homes in the PRS to meet new standards by 2030. They want to make homes easier to heat, tackle fuel poverty and lower carbon emissions.
❓ What's the Government proposing?
🗣️The consultation is proposing to align MEES with a new domestic EPC (which is the subject of a separate consultation). The proposal is that compliance with MEES will require meeting a primary standard based on fabric performance and then a secondary standard based on either the home’s heating system or on its smart readiness.
New tenancies will need to meet the new standard from 2028, and all tenancies from 2030. As a transitional measure, homes already EPC C rated – under the existing EPC methodology – might be considered compliant with the new standard until the EPC expires.
❓ What are BPF members saying about the plans?
🗣️We'll be submitting a formal response in the coming days. We support the ambition but are concerned about the focus on fabric performance; the sequencing of the consultation (given the lack of detail about the proposed new domestic EPC); the timeline; and about the potential impact on the PRS.
