Private renters need better advice on Government’s energy efficiency plans

A national tenant survey has highlighted a lack of awareness among private renters of a number of energy efficiency issues relating to their homes.

The latest Voice of the Tenant Survey, funded by the TDS Charitable Foundation, found that half of renters were not aware of current minimum energy efficiency standards for rental housing.

The findings come as the Government is considering responses to a consultation to increase energy efficiency standards in rented housing.

The TDS Charitable Foundation warns that without a comprehensive awareness campaign to inform tenants about their home’s energy efficiency and the relevant statutory standards, upcoming regulation is unlikely to achieve its intended impact.

Lack of awareness of enforcement rights

The vast majority of renters (86%) feel that energy efficiency is important when choosing a rented property. However, just two in five tenants were aware of the EPC rating of their rented home.

Almost 60% of tenants were unaware that they can report their landlord to the local council if they believe their rented property does not meet the required energy efficiency standard.  

Without tenant awareness, holding non-compliant landlords accountable will remain a significant challenge. The Government must recognise that legislative change alone is not enough, effective implementation requires informed tenants and active enforcement.

Financial support

The research shows that 37% of tenants said they struggled to afford their energy bills. This is a reduction from previous years of the survey, which may be due to affordability pressures easing slightly overall.

Only 16% of tenants had ever applied for any financial support schemes (e.g. grants or government funding) to help with energy bills or energy efficiency improvements.  

In June’s Spending Review, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed a £13.2bn investment in the Warm Homes Plan. This will enable private renters on low incomes to access funded energy efficiency upgrades through their local council.

However, a lack of awareness may lead to low uptake of such support if a public education campaign is not in place.

Requesting energy efficiency improvements

Almost half of tenants believe the energy efficiency of their rented property could be improved. 

A third of tenants had requested energy efficiency improvements from the landlord or letting agent, a lower proportion than in previous years. Most who did were satisfied with the response from their landlord.

One of the concerns associated with the Government’s plan to raise the minimum energy efficiency rating, is that landlords will pass improvement costs on to tenants through higher rents.

The survey shows that more than six in ten tenants would be willing to pay a slightly higher rent for a property with better energy efficiency, if it resulted in significantly lower energy bills.  

However, the research also indicated widespread affordability issues among tenants (with almost half of tenants cutting back on household essentials to pay rent). Landlords must therefore carefully consider any rent increases to avoid exacerbating existing pressures.

Landlords can also seek financial assistance for upgrades through schemes such as the Warm Homes: Local Grant.

About the survey

The Voice of the Tenant Survey is a regular national survey funded by the TDS Charitable Foundation. It explores people’s experiences of living in the private rented sector in England and tracks how trends are changing over time. Focusing on issues related to affordability, tenure security and property conditions, this representative survey commenced in 2022 and is repeated annually with a new sample of over 2000 tenants. Each wave includes a key topical issue; the most recent wave (conducted in March 2025) includes questions on energy efficiency.

The full results of the survey can be accessed here.