"We recognise how crucial it is for the private rented sector to boost its energy efficiency. But the Government needs to be pragmatic when choosing the steps it wants to take to make this happen.""
- Ben Beadle - National Residential Landlords Association
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has warned that a shortage of qualified retrofitting professionals will obstruct the government's proposed overhaul of how energy performance certificates (EPCs) are assessed for rental properties.
The warning comes in the NRLA's response to a government consultation on the future of Home Energy Model benchmarking, run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
The association argues that the government's preferred approach would require extensive additional training for EPC assessors to make the new Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) regime function effectively.
Without action to expand assessor capacity, the NRLA says rising demand could create a bottleneck that places unsustainable pressure on an already limited supply of qualified professionals.
Why the retrofitting skills gap threatens EPC reform
The consultation asks stakeholders for views on proposed changes to how EPC ratings are calculated, with new metrics intended to help owner-occupiers, landlords and renters better understand fabric performance, heating systems and the practical steps available to improve energy efficiency.
For landlords in the private rented sector, the changes carry particular significance given ongoing regulatory pressure to upgrade the energy performance of their properties.
"We recognise how crucial it is for the private rented sector to boost its energy efficiency," said Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association. "But the Government needs to be pragmatic when choosing the steps it wants to take to make this happen."
Beadle added, "If it doesn't address the 'retrofitting skills gap' – the shortfall in those retrofitting professionals qualified to uphold EPC benchmarks – its changes to energy efficiency benchmarks are unlikely to succeed."
The NRLA's intervention follows DESNZ's recent decision to delay the introduction of the new EPC regime until the second half of 2027, a move the department attributed to engagement with industry on delivery timelines.
The delay suggests ministers are already aware of practical obstacles to implementation, though the NRLA is pressing for the workforce challenge to be addressed directly rather than deferred.
Delayed EPC regime puts pressure on government to act
The postponement to 2027 gives the government additional time to resolve the skills shortage, but the NRLA argues that the timeline alone will not be sufficient without a coordinated effort to train and qualify more assessors.
As demand for EPCs rises alongside growing regulatory requirements for landlords, the gap between assessor supply and market need is likely to widen rather than narrow without intervention.
The association's full consultation response is available to download via the NRLA website.
