NRLA calls on Government to address retrofitting skills gap

27 Mar 2026 12:38 PM

The NRLA is arguing that the retrofitting skills gap will impede the Government’s proposed reforms to the methodology used to assess rental properties’ energy performance certificates.

In response to a government consultation on the future of Home Energy Model benchmarking, the NRLA highlights how the Government’s suggested approach would require extensive additional training of EPC assessors to ensure the new Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) regime works effectively.

This further training for assessors, the Association suggests, could create a ‘bottleneck’ as demand for assessors rises, ensuring that the existing – and limited – supply of qualified assessors is put under additional strain.

The consultation, held by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ), calls on stakeholders to provide their views on proposed changes to how EPC ratings are determined. These new metrics are designed to help owner occupiers, landlords and renters better understand fabric performance and their heating systems, as well as the practical improvements they can make to improve their properties’ energy efficiency. 

The consultation also follows the recent news that DESNZ has delayed the introduction of the new EPC regime until the second half of 2027, following “engagement with industry on the delivery timeline”. 

If you’d like to read the NRLA’s response to the Government’s consultation you can download it in its entirety here.

Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said:

“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. 

“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.”

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