How To Help Your Tenants Deal With The UK Energy Crisis

An energy crisis is sweeping worldwide, and the UK is one of the most affected countries. There are multiple reasons for its current state as far as the energy crisis is concerned.

It is assumed that around 85 percent of homes in the UK use gas boilers to keep their homes warm. Also, about 40 percent of the electricity in the country is generated by power stations that use gas. Most houses in the UK are poorly insulated in comparison to other countries, as so much of our solid brick victorian terraced houses remain. These lack cavity walls and often still have single-glazed windows and are poorly insulated. The energy crisis has also severely impacted the spending power of people.

The government has predicted that the annual household bills will rise further from 1,000 to 3,500 in the later part of the year. But it was also announced that they would provide support for households and businesses. The steep and sudden rise in energy prices in the last few months will hit tenants and property owners alike. Also, the inflationary environment means that the general cost of living is increasing, which can lead to a potential situation of stress and tension between the agent, landlord, and tenant.

Experts have suggested a few tips to help the tenants deal with the situation.

1 Focus On The Most Vulnerable Among the Tenants

The older people among renters will be the most affected, so it is important to keep an eye on them. Equally, young renters, especially those who have just started their careers and are on low wages, will feel the strain of the high cost of living. Most of them spend over 35 to 40 percent of their monthly wage on rent, leaving them with little room for managing drastic bill increases. Some tenants may turn off their heaters completely to cut costs, but that could be a dangerous decision in some cases. Landlords and agents must step in and advise the tenants against putting themselves in danger. Ongoing communication and early intervention are a must in such cases.

2 Make Tenants Aware of The Simple Steps That Can Help Them

Tenants can make small changes to their routine to remain in control of the situation. For instance, they can invest in a smart meter to track how much they spend on heating and related power consumption. This will give them a fair idea of the efficiency of the systems they are using and allow them to take corrective steps. Other steps include making changes to improve insulation, switching to energy-efficient lightbulbs, turning off appliances and electrical goods rather than leaving them on standby, using window films and draft excluders, and adding reflective foils to radiators. Landlords can make an effort to supply these low-cost things to the tenants at a fair price to demonstrate their care and support.

Doing away with pre-payment meters is a smart move, as they have become one of the costliest ways of powering a home. Those using prepayment meters must be encouraged to switch to smart meters and pay by direct debit.

3 Tenants Can Urge Landlords To Support Long-Term Changes

Tenants can appeal to landlords to improve the levels of energy efficiency on their property. This can be achieved through enhanced insulation or by using a green heating system. Such adjustments can make a significant difference to the energy consumed. By making these changes, they can stay one step ahead of the minimum EPC standard regulations expected to be raised shortly. Communication is the key to ensuring that the vulnerable and the needy tenants are protected when the full impact of winter is unleashed. People will feel cared for if they are proactively contacted and provided with the necessary measures.

Life is the leasing arm of The Ringley Group. Most of the properties we rent are purposely built for rentals by institutional landlords and are energy efficient being built to future homes standards and come with energy efficient appliances. It is estimated that modern tenants-what-it-means-for-the-uk-build-to-rent-sector'>build to rent properties are up to 37% more energy efficient - that is quite a saving. If you want to rent and are ready to move talk to us about living in buildings that are future living today.