In a statement, Sunak insisted he remained committed to net zero by 2050 but pledged a “fairer” path to achieving the target to ease the financial burden on families. Under the revised plans, the Government will “scrap policies to force landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties, but instead continue to encourage households to do so where they can.”

The U-turn means that landlords will not have to pay about £10,000 per property for insulation or double glazing but their tenants may still face costs via higher heating bills. The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) said the uncertainty had led to fewer rental properties.

Despite welcoming the “substantial” savings this will mean for landlords, Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said the government should “develop a full plan that supports the rental market to make the energy efficiency savings we all want to see. This must include appropriate financial support and reform of the tax system that currently fails to support investment in energy efficiency measures.”

There had been plans to fine landlords in England and Wales who failed to upgrade their properties to level ‘C’  energy efficiency rating, but these have now been scrapped.

By law, all homes that are sold or rented must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which rate its energy efficiency from A (the most efficient) to G (the least efficient).

Less than half of private rental homes had an EPC of A to C in England last year, data shows. The average efficiency rating in England and Wales is D, according to the Energy Savings Trust.

The Prime Minister’s speech last month (September), also touched on the heating of homes. The ban on installing oil and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) boilers and new coal heating for off-gas grid households has been put back to 2035 instead of phasing them out from 2026. Many of these homes are not suitable for heat pumps, say the government, so this “ensures homeowners are not having to spend around £10-15,000 on upgrading their homes in just three years’ time.”

Meanwhile, exemptions have been set for the phase out of fossil fuel boilers, including gas, in 2035. Under the revised plans, households who will struggle the most to switch to heat pumps or low carbon alternatives won’t have to do so. “This is expected to cover about a fifth of homes, including off-gas-grid homes, those that need expensive retrofitting or a very large electricity connection,” said a government statement.

In addition, the Boiler Upgrade Grant has been raised by 50% to £7,500 to help households who want to replace their gas boilers with a heat pump.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “This country is proud to be a world leader in reaching Net Zero by 2050. But we simply won’t achieve it unless we change. We’ll now have a more pragmatic, proportional and realistic approach that eases the burden on families.”