Royal estates linked to King Charles and Prince William rent out homes that fall below minimum legal energy-efficiency standards, according to an analysis reported by The Guardian. The report says more than 100 homes across the Duchy of Lancaster, the Duchy of Cornwall and the Sandringham estate have Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of F or G, which are below required thresholds for landlords.
The outlets describe a pattern affecting older, often rural properties such as cottages, farmhouses and country houses, which can be expensive and difficult to upgrade. The Guardian frames the issue as a practical challenge of heating poorly insulated homes, even as at least one estate publicly signals ambitions to improve its environmental impact.
Overall, the accounts focus on the scale and EPC classifications of the problem and the implications for legal compliance. They do not present a single, detailed explanation for why these specific homes remain under the standards, but they highlight the tension between maintaining historic housing stock and meeting modern energy requirements.
