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Tenants living in some of the coldest homes in England and Wales are set to benefit from amended regulations requiring landlords to install energy efficiency measures, Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry announced today.

Since April this year, landlords who own some of the coldest privately rented homes have been required to improve these properties with energy efficiency measures where support is available to cover the costs. The new measures, announced today following a public consultation, will go further requiring landlords to contribute to the cost of upgrades.

During 2019, properties with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G, the lowest 2 energy efficiency ratings available, must be made warmer by landlords before they can be put on the rental market for new tenancies. This is expected to cost £1,200 on average and will affect 290,000 properties, which represents around 6% of the overall domestic market.

These changes are expected to save households an average of £180 a year while reducing carbon emissions and potentially increasing property values with analysis showing the cost to the landlord would be more than offset by the increase in property value.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry said:

While the vast majority of landlords take great pride in the properties they own, a minority still rent out housing that is difficult to keep warm. Upgrading these homes so they are more energy efficient is one of the most effective ways to tackle fuel poverty and help bring down bills for their tenants, saving them £180 a year.

Everyone should be protected against the cold in their own home and today’s announcement will bring this reality closer.

Housing Minister Heather Wheeler MP said:

I strongly welcome these new measures, which will help improve the coldest homes, protecting tenants whilst also saving them money.

This builds on our on-going work to crack down on the small minority of rogue landlords and drive up standards in the Private Rented Sector, including through our reviews of health and safety standards and carbon monoxide alarm requirements in the home.

Excess cold is by far the largest preventable cause of death in the private rented sector. It is estimated by the World Health Organisation that 30% of avoidable winter deaths are due to people living in cold homes. These can be prevented if people were kept warm during the winter months.

Most landlords will be unaffected by the changes as their properties are already compliant. Where upgrades are necessary, the average cost to improve an F or G rated property to a band E is expected to be around £1,200 – far below the upper ceiling being brought forward under new regulations. Examples of measures include: installing floor insulation, low energy lighting or increasing loft insulation. If upgrades will cost more than £3,500, landlords will be able to register for an exemption.

Today’s measures will come into force during 2019 and will affect around 200,000 landlords, some of whom will still have access to a variety of funding schemes. This includes support from the Energy Company Obligation scheme and local grants to bring their properties up to the required standard. These measures will help to ensure the housing and energy market works for everyone by bringing greater fairness to energy costs and making renting fair and more transparent for all.

The announcement comes weeks after the first ever Green GB Week which challenged governments, businesses and civil society to rise to the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the stark and sobering risks of climate change to health and global prosperity while the UK moves to a cleaner, greener economy.

Notes to Editors:

1. When the amended regulations come into force, to register a ‘high cost’ exemption where the property cannot be improved to a band E for £3,500 or less, the landlord would be required to submit three installer quotes.
2. Current regulations, which came into force on 1 April 2018, require landlords of privately rented domestic and non-domestic properties in England or Wales to ensure their properties reach at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E before granting a new tenancy to new or existing tenants. Today’s announcement applies to domestic properties.
3. For privately rented homes in breach of the regulations, local authorities can use enforcement measures or issue a fine which is capped at £5,000. Local authorities also have powers to issue a publication penalty which would see the details of a landlord breach published on the PRS Exemptions Register.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has investigated clauses used by the comparison site in its contracts which stop home insurers from quoting lower prices on rival sites and other channels.

After reviewing the evidence, the CMA has provisionally found that these so-called “most favoured nation” clauses could be causing customers to miss out on better home insurance deals.

This is because the clauses prevent rival comparison sites and other channels from trying to win home insurance customers by offering cheaper prices than ComparetheMarket. It also means home insurance companies are more likely to pay higher commission rates to comparison sites with the extra costs potentially being passed on to customers.

As a result, people buying home insurance could be missing out on cheaper premiums.

Today, the CMA has issued ComparetheMarket a “statement of objections”, which sets out its provisional view that the contracts break competition law. The company will now have an opportunity to respond in detail and the CMA will consider the response and any further evidence before reaching a final decision.

CMA Chief Executive, Andrea Coscelli, said:

Over 20 million UK households have home insurance and more than 60% of new policies are found on price comparison sites. Therefore it’s crucial that these companies are able to offer customers their best possible deals.

Our investigation has provisionally found that ComparetheMarket has broken the law by preventing home insurers from offering lower prices elsewhere. This could result in people paying higher premiums than they need to.

This current investigation continues the CMA’s work in the sector following a market study into digital comparison tools. The study, which concluded in September 2017, showed that many people visit more than one comparison site as they shop around for the best deals. It also laid out clear guidelines for price comparison sites on how to use people’s personal data and how to display important information such as price and product description.

Further information can be found on the price comparison website page.

Notes to editors

1. Whilst the CMA understands that, during its investigation, ComparetheMarket contacted home insurers in late 2017 with regards to non-enforcement of the clauses, it remains concerned that the effects of the clauses could continue.
2. Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998 prohibits agreements and concerted practices between businesses which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the UK. Article 101(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) covers equivalent anti-competitive agreements and concerted practices which may affect trade between EU member states.
3. Any business found to have infringed these prohibitions can be fined up to 10% of its annual worldwide group turnover, taking into account a range of factors including the seriousness of the infringement and any mitigating or aggravating factors.
4. The CMA is addressing the statement of Objections to BGL (Holdings) Limited, BGL Group Limited, BISL Limited (BISL), and Compare The Market Limited (together BGL). BGL operates a price comparison website under the domain names comparethemarket.com and comparethemeerkat.com.
5. A statement of Objections gives addressees notice of a proposed infringement decision under the Competition Act 1998 and the equivalent EU law prohibitions. It is a provisional decision only and does not necessarily lead to an infringement decision. Addressees have the opportunity to make written and oral representations on the matters covered. Any such representations will be considered by the CMA before any final decision is made.
6. The statement of objections will not be published. In accordance with the Guidance on the CMA’s investigation procedures in Competition Act 1998 cases: CMA8, third parties who may be able to materially assist the CMA’s assessment of the case have an opportunity to submit written representations and may request a non-confidential version of the statement of objections by contacting the CMA no later than 16 November 2018.
7. More information on how to comply with competition law can be found on the competition law guidance page. The CMA currently has 15 open competition act investigations.
8. Media queries should be directed to press@cma.gov.uk, or 020 3738 6460

Graham Peter Hanson Pender was the managing director and major shareholder of Chauffeurline (UK) Limited. The company was incorporated on 8 March 2013 and had contracts with major airlines chauffeuring pilots to and from Edinburgh Airport and local hotels.

An Insolvency Service investigation followed the administration.

The Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard evidence that:

• Mr Pender failed to ensure Chauffeurline (UK) Limited maintained and/or preserved adequate accounting records and failed to deliver these to the Administrators, as he is required to do
• Chauffeurline had arrears with HMRC in excess of £60,000
• Mr Pender made out cheques, payable to himself, in the final year of trading totalling £116,896.89 and has failed to provide company accounting records that would explain these transactions
• company accounts for the year ended 31 May 2015 disclose fixed assets of £490,078.

Due to the lack of proper records, the Insolvency Service has been unable to sufficiently explain whether assets were disposed of at fair value and for the benefit of the company and its creditors.

On the 26 September 2018, the Secretary of State obtained an order against Mr Pender for failing to deliver and maintain/preserve adequate accounting records.

Rob Clarke, Chief Investigator Insolvent Investigations North, part of the Insolvency Service, commented:

Companies are under a legal duty to account for their income and expenditure and fulfilling that duty is a key component of the role of a director. There is no place in the corporate arena for those who neglect their responsibilities in this area.

All too often, the lack of records to explain transactions is used to cover up other, more serious misconduct and we cannot determine whether that was the case at Chauffeurline, a fact which is reflected in the lengthy ban now in place.

Mr Pender’s ban is effective from 18 October 2018 and lasts for a period of 7 years.

Notes to editors

Graham Peter Hanson Pender is of Edinburgh and his date of birth is 1959.

Chauffeurline (UK) Ltd (Company Reg. No. SC444545) was incorporated on the 8 March 2013.

The order was pronounced by Sheriff Holligan in the Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Steven Chesney appeared for the Insolvency Service and no one appeared for or on behalf of the defendant.

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

• act as a director of a company
• take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
• be a receiver of a company’s property

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings. Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

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• The UK will establish a new National Quantum Computing Centre in the race to build the world’s first universal quantum computer
• quantum technologies include a new generation of sensing, imaging, timing, navigation, communications and computing devices and is already helping us to crack new codes and understand human cells better
• through our modern Industrial Strategy we are driving the development of the most potentially revolutionary, cutting-edge technologies, and accelerating their adoption in real-world, industrial environments in order to realise their benefits for business, consumers and wider society

The UK has taken another step forward in the international race to become a quantum superpower with a £235 million funding boost. This includes establishing a new National Quantum Computing Centre, a quantum challenge to bring technology to markets and boost the economy, and new centres for doctoral training to upskill future experts.

These new technologies will help address the medical, environmental, security and societal challenges of the future. They are the next generation of sensing, imaging, timing, navigation, communications and computing devices, using sub-atomic particles to take computing performance far beyond the abilities of existing ‘classical’ technologies.

Quantum sensors will see things we currently cannot see: the buried pipes and cables that cause costly delays to construction projects or the light from hazards obscured by mist or fog. Quantum computers will perform in a way classical computers will never be able to perform, for example:

• rapidly cracking previously unbreakable codes
• investigating the complex interaction of cells in the body
• or analysing complex weather systems

Quantum sensors and clocks will enable navigation in areas where satellite signals from GPS and Global Navigation Satellite Systems are unavailable.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

There is a huge future for cutting edge science in the UK which is why we are investing in ambitious technologies, like quantum, in our modern Industrial Strategy.

Quantum technology has already developed sensors that can visualise the invisible deep underground, and see round corners. It makes the impossible, possible and now we are backing UK innovators to continue this world-leading work.

The National Quantum Technologies Programme, which has been in place since 2014, was extended with a £235 million investment announced by the Chancellor at Autumn Budget. This is on top of the £80 million announced in September for the continuation of 4 quantum development hubs and means the UK’s pioneering programme will receive £315 million between 2019 and 2024. Delivered through UK Research and Innovation, the individual projects being taken forward are:

• a new National Quantum Computing Centre to be established, that will provide the equipment and expertise necessary to develop the underlying technologies for workable, scalable machines; enable the development of software; and enable companies to exploit the insights they bring for competitive advantage
• a Quantum Challenge (i.e., the ISCF Wave 3) that will seek to commercialise quantum technologies in industries across the economy
• a new training and skills package, including Centres for Doctoral Training, that will inspire people to consider careers uncovering the opportunities that will come with quantum technologies

Digital Secretary Jeremy Wright said:

The new National Quantum Computing Centre will allow businesses and universities to pave the way for the development of this emerging technology in the UK and help solve problems today’s computers are unable to address.

With this new funding for the National Quantum Technology Programme, alongside Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund commitments, we are extremely well placed to realise the commercial and social benefits of this groundbreaking innovation.

Quantum technologies will impact all aspects of our daily lives and will be powerful tools in the hands of scientists addressing the medical, environmental, security and societal challenges of the future. The UK is in a world-leading position and will benefit from the prosperity and security these new technologies will bring.