E Double

The research also found that around two thirds of Brits (68 per cent) think landlords will pass on the cost of making their properties more energy efficient to the tenant while eight in ten people would think twice about renting from a landlord whose property had a poor EPC.

From 1 October 2008, landlords are legally bound to show tenants the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) score of the property they are renting out. EPCs tell people how energy-efficient a home is on a scale of A-G. The most efficient homes - which should have the lowest fuel bills - are in band A.

Chief executive Philip Sellwoodsaid: "We know that people are going to be looking to rent out places that are cheaper to run - it's hardly rocket science. A poorly insulated three bedroom semi-detached house could move from band F to C saving a tenant GBP700 a year on energy bills if the landlord installed straight-forward energy saving measures like insulation.

"There is no good reason for landlords to pass the cost of upgrading a property to meet energy efficient criteria to their tenants - there is financial support available which can help recoup any financial outlay involved.

"We urge all landlords to see this new legislation as an opportunity not a challenge. All the evidence points to the fact that an energy-efficient home will be much more appealing to prospective tenants."

Landlords can apply for financial support to make their properties greener through the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT). In addition, landlords can apply for the Landlords Energy Saving Allowance - a tax allowance which lets landlords claim on their income tax or corporation tax against the cost of buying and installing certain energy saving measures. Tax relief is for a maximum of GBP1,500 per property.

Landlords can contact the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512012 to find out what grants and offers are available to them to make their property more energy efficient. Landlords can also benefit from practical helpoffered by local authorities and council tax reductions for lower bands.

The Energy Saving Trust's consumer research also found that:

--Eighty-three per cent of people who rentare worried about their energy bills this coming winter.

--Eighty-five per cent of people believe they can guess correctly a home's energy performance score just by looking at a home.

--Eighty-six per cent of people believe it IS important to look at a home's EPC rating before renting.

--Four in ten people aged between 25 and 34 would be embarrassed to tell their friends about their home's energy efficiency rating if it was highly inefficient.

--Four in ten people (40 per cent) who have moved in the last year now wish they had taken in to account the energy costs of their new property before moving in.

The research was undertaken by ICM on behalf of the Energy Saving Trust. The survey was conducted between 5 and 7 September 2008 among 2,146 adults across the UK.

Notes to editor:

About The Energy Saving Trust

The Energy Saving Trust is the UK's leading organisation set up to address the damaging effects of climate change. It aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions - the main greenhouse gas causing climate change - by promoting the sustainable and efficient use of energy.

The Energy Saving Trust provides impartial information and advice and has a network of advice centres in the UKspecifically designed to help consumers take action to save energy.

About Energy Performance Certificates

Since being introduced in 2007 for homebuyers, more than one million Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) have been produced and registered in Englandand Wales- with the average rating being D or E.

Energy Performance Certificates are being introduced to the rental market from 1 October 2008: an EPC will be required for all new tenancies signed on or after this date. Valid for 10 years, the EPC will provide landlords and tenants with information on the energy efficiency and carbon emissions of their property in an easy-to-understand fridge-style rating of A-G. As part of the evaluation, the assessor will also provide a list of recommendations suggesting cost effective improvements to raise the property's energy efficiency.

*Savings based on

The house in question is a 3 bed semi detached home built in 1930. It has a pitched roof with 50mm of loft insulation installed in between the joists. The house was constructed with cavity walls but these are yet to be fitted with insulation. The windows are all single glazed and there is a single open fireplace. The home is heated with an old gas-fired boiler and the only heating control which has been fitted is a room thermostat and the hot water tank has an old and thin insulation jacket. There is no energy efficiency lighting fitted in the house.

A house with these levels of energy efficiency would cost around GBP1,900 per year in energy bills.

As new tenants will be renting the house from October, the landlord has asked a domestic energy assessor to survey the house and issue an Energy Performance Certificate. The house is currently rated in band F for both energy efficiency and environmental impact.

The EPC makes a variety of recommendations which will greatly improve the energy and environmental performance of the home. These include the following lower cost measures:

Increasing the loft insulation to 270mm Installing cavity wall insulation Fitting a modern hot water cylinder with 160mm factory fitted insulation Upgrading heating controls (to fit a programmer and thermostatic radiator valves) Using low energy lighting in all fittings Install a band A condensing boiler

Implementing these measures would raise the EPC rating from an F to a C for energy efficiency and to a D for environmental impact. Furthermore it would reduce the energy costs by nearly 40%, saving around GBP700 per year in energy bills while the house's CO2 emissions would be cut by around 3.5 tonnes.

The landlord could go further. The EPC also recommends further higher cost measures:

Installing solar water heating Replacing the single glazed windows with low-E double glazing Installing solar photovoltaic panels

By installing these additional measures, the house's EPC rating would be raised to a B for both energy efficiency and environmental impact.

Available for interview:

Energy Saving Trust experts available for print, as lives, lives and pre-records in London, and across the UK. Call Weber Shandwick to arrange.

CONTACT: David Sawyer, for Energy Saving Trust Tel: +44 (0)7770 886 923 e-mail: dsawyer@webershandwick.com Lisa Palompo, for Energy Saving Trust Tel: +44 (0)7770 886 932 e-mail: lpalompo@webershandwick.com Charlie Mann, for Energy Saving Trust Tel: +44 (0)7770 886 926 e-mail: cmann@webershandwick.com Hayley Ford, for Energy Saving Trust Tel: +44 (0)7770 886 950 e-mail: hford@webershandwick.com Nic White, for Energy Saving Trust Tel: +44 (0)7770 886 908 e-mail: nwhite@webershandwick.com

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