Builders may have to insulate energy-leaking properties by law under new powers to be introduced by the Government, it has been announced.
New legislation, due to be published next month, will include measures to force private landlords to make energy saving improvements to properties if they are deemed necessary.
Landlords can sometimes be reluctant to pay for insulation work to be carried out because they do not think it will benefit them directly.
Ministers hope that many of the improvements will be made voluntarily under the planned Green Deal scheme, where the cost is paid through future energy bills rather than up front. The idea of the scheme is that savings made by conserving more energy would offset the extra costs.
Officials said the take-up of the scheme among private landlords would be monitored, while powers to force them to meet reasonable requests from tenants will be made available from 2015.
Local councils could also be handed the power by the Energy Bill to demand the least-efficient properties in their area be improved by landlords.
Copyright Press Association 2010