Landlords should be handed tax breaks to make energy efficient upgrades to properties that reduce 'crippling' bills for tenants, Labour has been told.
Tory MPs urged ministers to treat improvements to insulation and heating like replacing furniture, and property maintenance, which can be claimed against tax.
The government is consulting on plans to force private landlords to make sure their property or properties achieve an energy performance certificate (EPC) C rating. But the government's plan is for landlords to have until 2030 to do it.
The seven-step system runs from A (the best) to G, and homes must be reassessed when they are built, sold, or rented out.
Last year a major report found that the UK has Europe's leakiest homes, but attempts to get the Tory government to make changes before the election failed.
MPs who are part of the Conservative Environment Network say that tax breaks should be offered to landlords for making their properties more efficient, arguing it will bring down tenants' sky-high bills.
It would also make the UK less reliant on gas and other fuels imported from abroad by lowering consumption.
Former science minister George Freeman said: 'Energy bills are crippling renters across the UK. Rising costs are making it unsustainable to be a landlord. Yet, the government is proposing to add more regulation to the sector, without providing adequate support for the necessary upgrades.
'The government must make energy efficiency upgrades a tax deductible expense. On average, it can cost landlords £3,200 to retrofit their homes. But the UK has some of the worst-insulated homes in Europe - this needs to be addressed. We need to help landlords who are looking to invest and improve their properties.
'By cutting taxes on landlords, we will help them improve their properties and boost their value. Renters would also immediately benefit, staying warmer for less and prepared for future winters.'
The Renters’ Rights Bill seeks to introduce several measures including an end to no-fault evictions, stopping bidding wars for tenancies, helping tenants challenge unreasonable rent increases and preventing landlords from demanding more than a month’s rent in advance from a new tenant.
The House of Commons supported the Bill at third reading by 440 votes to 111, majority 329, and it is now in the House of Lords to undergo further scrutiny.
But Conservative MPs warned more changes to the law could see an exodus of landlords, limiting the supply of homes for rent and driving rents up further as a result.
Devon MP Rebecca Smith said: 'Labour promised in their manifesto to take rapid and effective action to improve energy efficiency and reduce bills for renters.
'But instead, the government is delaying action until 2030 and proposing to burden landlords with added red tape without financial support.
'The government must do more to help renters, but it must do it in a market-led way which doesn't raise costs for landlords or renters.
'With the Renters' Rights bill returning to Parliament, the government cannot delay supporting landlords and rural communities to retrofit their homes. This does not mean expensive, statist intervention - we need sensible, pro-market intervention.'
The Conservative Environment Network has previously urged the chancellor to use a range of tax breaks to improve the energy efficiency of homes.
They include lower stamp duty rates for buyers who purchase well-insulated homes and rebates for those who carry out work after moving in.
Sam Payne, CEN's climate programme manager, added: 'Improving energy efficiency is crucial for reducing gas consumption, improving our energy security by decreasing dependence on imported gas.
'By preventing heat loss through poorly insulated walls, windows, and doors, households can benefit from lower energy bills.
However, regulation alone is not enough to achieve this. To make energy-saving upgrades more accessible and affordable, there need to be strong incentives, such as tax reductions. Allowing landlords to deduct energy efficiency improvements from their taxes is an effective way to promote upgrades in the private rental sector, benefiting tenants with lower bills.'
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