East Suffolk Council has one of the best records in the country in tackling energy efficiency in homes, according to a new report.
Introduced in April 2018, the government’s Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards scheme barred landlords from starting new tenancies for properties with an Energy Performance Certificate of F or G - two of the lowest ratings.
Since the scheme came into force, East Suffolk has handed out 87 compliance notices and 7 financial penalties, with fines totalling £24,000.
The council is in the top six of the 268 authorities included in the report.
James Mallinder, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “I am proud of the work East Suffolk Council carries out to enable landlords and housing associations to join us in our vision to be environmentally efficient in all our frontline services.”
Richard Kerry, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for housing, added: “Not only are cold homes miserable to live in but known to contribute to ill health and it also has financial and environmental costs when heat is wasted through poor insulation.
“Tenants don’t always have a choice of moving to another property and ultimately, our priority is to improve living conditions for all tenants, regardless of their circumstances, by enforcing the improvements and penalising landlords who have not carried out what has been required by the change in law.”
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