Following the latest update from Energy Minister Martin McCluskey, the government’s £15 billion Warm Homes Plan is no longer just a policy—it is being treated as a “National Duty” to fix the UK’s housing crisis.
Speaking recently at the NESTA conference, Martin McCluskey highlighted the policy’s impact. From manufacturers to landlords, homeowners to tenants, the effects will be far-reaching.
1924 vs. 2026
In 1924, the Housing Act built 500,000 homes to solve a post-war crisis. The Warm Homes Plan aims to upgrade 5 million homes by 2030. That is ten times the ambition.
The goal for WHP is that every rental property—private or social—must hit EPC Level C.
Landlord Responsibility
With 1.6 million children currently living in cold, damp, or mouldy private rentals and nearly 1/3 of private tenants living in fuel poverty, new regulations will ensure that whether you are a social or private tenant, the “level of standard” is identical.
With only 50% of properties meeting the EPC C standard, landlord’s will have a lot of work to do.
The “Universal Offer”
One update is the shift toward the “Able-to-Pay” market. For too long, green tech was only for the wealthy or the vulnerable. The government is setting aside funding for low-cost, low-interest consumer loans.
The plan includes heat batteries and air-to-air heat pumps, which are game-changers for flats and smaller urban apartments.
180,000 New Jobs
The government has launched the Warm Home Workforce Taskforce to bridge the skills gap and grow the workforce from 60,000 to 240,000 by 2030. A major focus is on helping current gas installers transition into high-skilled, well-paid retrofit roles.
Health is the Metric, Not Just Carbon
The plan isn’t just measuring CO2, but also missed school days and NHS admissions. By tackling damp and cold at the source, the Warm Homes Plan is a public health intervention.
With a dedicated Warm Homes Agency being established to oversee delivery, standards should improve, avoiding the issues around poor insulation installations under previous eco schemes.
The commitment from the government is clear; less clear are the details. We fully support the WHP and like many, are waiting for more information.
Luke Loveridge’s latest webinar breaks down the data on exactly why landlords need to act before 2030 – and how our industry can guide them through it.
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