Landlords could get more choice about what type of energy efficient upgrades they fit in their properties under the government’s Warm Homes Plan.

It has launched a consultation on expanding its Boiler Upgrade Scheme with proposed changes including the ability to access air-to-air heat pumps and electric heating technologies such as heat batteries, which aren’t currently eligible for grants under the scheme.

It is also considering new purchase and ownership models which could spread the cost of a heat pump over several years, as well as a leasing option for a monthly fee.

Demand for heat pumps is rising, with the scheme – which offers up to £7,500 off the cost - enjoying its best month since opening, with 4,028 applications received in March, up 88% on the same month last year. Ministers have also unveiled plans to train up to 18,000 skilled workers to install these and other energy efficiency measures.

The Government tells LandlordZONE that landlords can apply under the scheme, but that their eligibility for the various technologies will be discussed as part of the consultation.

Russell Smith, MD and Founder of Ecofurb (pictured) reckons giving households more choice over how they upgrade their homes is a step in the right direction, but that people still need tailored advice in order to make confident, informed decisions. He adds: “That’s why better education must sit alongside these incentives.”

With two days to go until the government’s consultation on introducing higher minimum energy efficiency standards in PRS homes closes, ministers have urged landlords and tenants to make their views heard. Under the plans, all private landlords would have to meet a higher standard of EPC C or equivalent in their properties – up from the current level of EPC E, by 2030.

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