Scott Battram comments on Miliband’s green targets and their potential to disrupt the property market in The Telegraph

Scott’s article was published in the Telegraph, 15 January 2025, and can be seen here.
Senior Associate, Scott Battram, is quoted in The Telegraph, discussing the implications of Ed Miliband’s proposed green energy reforms on the property market and how these changes may drive landlords out of the market and worsen the housing shortage.
Miliband’s green targets risk unleashing property market chaos
The Government has launched a consultation to overhaul controversial energy performance certificates (EPCs), while the energy secretary wants all rental properties to achieve a minimum standard of energy efficiency by the end of the decade.
“For landlords who poured money into achieving a C-rated certificate undercurrent guidelines, a sudden shift in metrics “could render some properties unlettable and put a greater strain on a market where there is already housing shortages”, said Scott Battram, of legal firm Hunters Law.
Mr Battram added: “The shifting EPC criteria to prioritise greener technologies, such as solar panels and air-source heat pumps, pose a risk to landlords who have invested heavily under current standards.
“Older properties, like 1930s builds or mews houses, may struggle to adopt these changes due to structural limits or planning restrictions, potentially resulting in downgraded EPC ratings.”
Read the full article here [subscription required]: Miliband’s green targets risk unleashing property market chaos