Stoke on Trent Council has announced that it is working in partnership with a community charity, Groundwork West Midlands, to reach out to private rented sector tenants to raise awareness of energy performance certificates (EPC) and offer advice on energy efficiency in order to reduce fuel poverty.

Groundwork West Midlands is part of a federation of regional community charities operating across England, Wales and Northern Ireland under the Groundwork umbrella. Groundwork has been operating for 40 years after being set up in 1981.

The council points out that, as set down in the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, a landlord is required to provide a current EPC to their tenant as part of the Right to Rent pack that must be provided at the start of any new tenancy.

The announcement says "Groundwork West Midlands wants to talk with you about the EPC of your property .... They will also contact your landlord and their agent with advice and useful information on what landlords can do to make their rental properties more energy efficient and move them up to an E rating - if they currently have an EPC rating of F or G." They will also offer free, impartial advice to the tenant about how the tenant can save energy and reduce bills.

It seems that the council may be aware that there are, or may be, numbers of PRS properties in Stoke with ratings of F or G (the lowest efficiency ratings) as the announcement does not reference the upcoming (2025) requirement to raise PRS EPC ratings to level C but does say "Landlords who continue to let sub-standard property (EPC bands F and G) but have not registered a valid exemption may be liable to financial penalties and other actions by way of enforcement".

The council is also looking to reach out to PRS landlords, saying "We would like to encourage landlords to contact Groundwork West Midlands to seek free advice to improve their property portfolio".

Cllr. Carl Edwards, Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment, said "We recognise that rising energy prices affect us all, so it is important that properties are as efficient as possible so that our residents can live safe and healthy lives in warm homes" - possibly intentionally referencing, by implication, the HHSRS hazard rating system.

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