Holiday let owners in the South West have told the BBC proposed energy efficiency rules could force many to shut down, as retrofitting older properties becomes too costly.
The government is consulting on plans to require short-term rental properties to achieve at least a grade C Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) by 2030.
This would involve upgrades like insulation and heat pumps. But many owners say the cost of adapting older stone cottages is prohibitive.
Industry leaders say the impact could be widespread. Alistair Handyside, chair of the South West Tourism Alliance added:
You’re asking people to spend three years of profit in advance in order to continue to trade. It’s too expensive, it’s going to happen too quickly, and so we think that a lot of people will finally close the door.”
He warned that the knock-on effects could be significant for the wider visitor economy.
“If you remove a lot of the bed stock you remove the ability for people to stay in that area and, if they can’t stay, they don’t go to visitor attractions, pubs or restaurants,” he said.
The government says the proposals are aimed at reducing fuel poverty and making homes cheaper to heat.
But Neil Dennett, who runs four holiday cottages near Looe, estimated the cost of changes to make them more energy efficient could come to about £60,000.
“If we have to do that, it effectively means we will have to shut the business down because it becomes unviable,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero told the BBC: “We have consulted widely on our plans for private rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030, including those representing the short-term letting industry.”
The consultation has now closed and the government says it will consider the evidence received before setting out its position
Copyright © 2025 Energy Live News LtdELN