Anyone renting properties out to private tenants may well have to install energy-efficiency measures in the homes, if they have the lowest energy performance ratings of F or G.

The government has announced that such properties will have to be made warmer before they can be put on the rental market for new tenancies. It’s expected that the home improvements will cost an average of £1,200, affecting some 290,000 properties around the country – or six per cent of the overall domestic market.

It’s thought that the move will save households an average of £180 a year, while driving down carbon emissions and possibly increasing property values, which means that the cost to you, the landlord, would be more than offset by hikes in house values.

In the private rented sector, excess cold is by far the biggest preventable cause of death. World Health Organisation figures show that 30 per cent of avoidable winter deaths are down to the fact that people live in cold homes, but these can be prevented if householders were kept warm during the winter.

Luckily, the majority of landlords will be unaffected by this move because their homes will already be compliant. But if you are caught in the middle of it all, energy-efficient measures could potentially include the likes of increasing loft insulation, low energy lighting and floor insulation. If costs exceed £3,500, landlords will be able to register for exemptions.

“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,” Clare Perry, energy and clean growth minster, said.

No doubt we all remember the Beast from the East, which hit us hard last year – and it seems as though there’s going to be precious little respite from the harsh winter weather in 2018 either.

In fact, we’re about to be hit with a serious cold front coming in from Russia, so you can expect a drop in temperature and a real sense that winter is finally coming.

Last year, the Office for National Statistics showed that there were 31,800 excess winter deaths among those over the age of 65 from cold-related illnesses like strokes and heart attacks, compared to 20,800 the year before – so it suggests that something does need to be done to help the most vulnerable people in our society.