1st
Jul 2021
A local council has ordered a landlord to take out his property’s energy efficient triple glazed windows which cost him at least £10,000 to install.
Because of the ridiculous council action it caused such a stir that it featured in a BBC News piece which reported that the landlord, Mike West, replaced the property’s single glazed sash windows with UPVC triple-glazed ones when he renovated his Victorian property in Southsea, Portsmouth.
This action has led to West having major fears as to whether he will ever be able to let out his house as there is a real danger of by re-installing single-glazed windows, it will cause the property’s EPC rating dropping from C down to Band E.
The government’s intention is that by 2030 all PRS homes must achieve a minimum Band C EPC rating, with only a few exceptions being allowed.
Nevertheless Portsmouth council still ordered the landlord to re-install the original sash windows because the house is situated within a conservation area, stating the new windows constitute an "erosion" of the area's heritage which it will not allow.
The beleaguered West says: “We put in triple glazing. It's very energy efficient and also very comfortable for the tenants.
"We're not conservation cowboys... anybody walking casually up and down the street would not notice the difference."
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