Energy Efficiency, Fuel Poverty and Sustaining Tenancies in the Private Rented Sector

As the number of new home-owners declines resulting in increasing numbers of people living in rented accommodation, Energy Action Scotland (EAS) will be hosting a breakthrough conference in Glasgow which will focus on the future regulation of energy efficiency in private rented sector (PRS) homes across Scotland.

The event is for PRS landlords, whether they are owners of one or of multiple properties, to introduce and facilitate their engagement with national and local services delivering energy efficiency measures that will both improve the EPC rating and provide warm, dry homes for many tenants in the sector. The event will also support wider awareness of those services providing advice and education, raising awareness of wise energy use in the home which is key to achieving good energy habits and tackling a key contributor to fuel poverty, which causes misery and ill health for a quarter of households in Scotland.

This conference will provide PRS landlords with an understanding that these services can in some cases be free or delivered for a modest investment for what is likely to be a huge return in benefits such as the avoidance of dampness and the retention of sustained healthy tenancies which has positive outcomes for everyone.

The event is supported by the SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust whose Chair, John Duff, said: “As we face the shared responsibility of looking after our environment, Energy Action Scotland’s conference will not only help landlords comply with regulations, but also make real changes to our energy use, tackling fuel poverty.

“The SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust exists to support projects that seek to improve the private rented sector, and this conference is a great example of that aim.”

John Blackwood of the Scottish Association of Landlords commented,

“Many landlords have full time jobs and own only one property which they offer for rent. Most feel intimidated by new regulations and making them more likely to postpone taking action to improve the energy efficiency of their property. As the national charity campaigning to end fuel poverty, Energy Action Scotland are ideally placed to introduce new approaches and affordable measures that landlords can take for the benefit of tenants and the benefit of the building. Our members welcome the opportunity to better understand the new energy efficiency landscape as well as securing longer, healthier tenancies.”

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