AROUND 80 per cent of homes in Blaenau Gwent are at risk of not meeting looming climate targets.

Currently, 20 per cent of all homes in Blaenau Gwent would not be able to pass energy targets due to be imposed in 2030.

The UK Government has been criticised for not providing adequate infrastructure or awareness for homeowners to be able to reach this target.

“The funding in Wales is almost non-existent, which is quite poor really,” building and EPC surveyor John Williams said. “Every property is different and depending on the owner, it’s so costly for everyone. I don’t know how the government thinks they have £20,000 in their pocket.

“With the cost of living thrown in, it’s impossible without support.”

Mr Williams, 48, works with housing associations, private landlords, and estate agents to assess the energy efficiency of buildings across Gwent and issue them with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

EPCs tell you the energy efficiency of any building based on many factors, including insulation and heating system, before it is given a score between zero and 100.

Each score is associated with a rating:

  • 92 and above is band A, the most efficient;
  • 81 to 91 is band B;
  • 69 to 80 is band C;
  • 55 to 68 is band D;
  • 39 to 54 is band E;
  • 21 to 38 is band F;
  • 1 to 20 is band G.

By 2030, the UK Government has set a target of all rentals achieving at least band C, while owner-occupied homes have until 2035.

“I would say in the next three to five years people will be seriously panicking,” Mr Williams added.

“This has been hanging over our heads for a while now. With the housing association I work with, we spend millions every year.”

While 56 per cent of social housing in Blaenau Gwent is already meeting or exceeding EPC C, in owner-occupied homes this falls to 22 per cent and in private rentals it’s at 20 per cent.

Blaenau Gwent rental housing is 12th worst in the UK and third in Wales, after Anglesey and Gwynedd.

Mr Williams added: “We are getting more and more people inquiring about EPCs.

“There aren’t so many private landlords, but they are slowly trickling through.

“They only end up coming to a surveyor if the government has sent them a threat letter about what they need to do.”

The key issue in Blaenau Gwent, according to Mr Williams, is that many of the homes are old stone houses which do not have spaces in the walls - or cavities - for insulation.

Ways to improve energy ratings including installing loft installation, combi boilers and radiators with thermostatic controls, external and internal wall insulation, while solar panels or small wind turbines will also improve ratings.

Underfloor heating or infrared in the walls and ceilings can make an impact especially as they mean radiators won’t be covered by furniture. Cheaper improvements include using low energy light bulbs or removing an electric fire as homes are penalised for having a secondary heating source.

Homes with oil and gas boilers are likely to score low.

But on the whole the necessary improvements could cost “tens of thousands of pounds” per property, according to Mr Williams, who said without the necessary support many homes may not be able to reach the coming decade’s targets.