Minimum energy efficiency: Is the energy performance certificate a suitable foundation?

Purpose: Climate change is one of the most significant challenges of our time. The existing housing stock is a crucial component in achieving international and national climate change targets through energy efficiency improvements. The private rental sector incorporates some of the worst performing housing. To address this, the UK has implemented the minimum energy efficiency standard, based on the energy performance certificate rating. However, the energy performance certificate has a number of criticisms in the UK and across the EU. This viewpoints paper discusses the primary criticisms of the EPC and whether these undermine the minimum energy efficiency standard. Design/methodology/approach: This viewpoint paper draws on the recent work across academic, government and professional literature to develop a critique of the energy performance certificate and its underlying methodology as a basis on which to form the minimum energy efficiency standard. Findings: The paper concludes that based on the current form of the energy performance certificate in the UK, the minimum energy efficiency standard is likely to unfairly advantage some landlords and penalise others. This has implications for landlords, tenants and the wider housing stock. Originality/value: This paper presents a discussion of the new minimum energy efficiency standard based on the limitations of the energy performance certificate. It has implications for policymakers, researchers and practitioners in the private rental sector.