Hundreds of thousands of children live in cold, damp or mouldy homes, research shows today.
In the latest grim study to highlight the plight of youngsters in the cost-of-living crisis, the Citizens Advice study says 1.6 million kids in England live in such accommodation in private rented homes.
Analysts found 30% of renters cannot heat their home to a comfortable temperature - increasing to 45% of disabled tenants.
Campaigners called on the Government to expand “Awaab’s Law” - which will force social landlords to fix damp and mould within strict time limits - to the private rental sector.
The legislation is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died from a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould at his Rochdale home.
The Yonder survey of 2,000 private renters, which took place last month, found 2.7m households struggling with poor living conditions fuelled by high energy bills and a lack of insulation.
The problem is especially bad in the least energy efficient homes, with private tenants being 73% more likely to be living with damp if they are in a property with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D-G rather than A-C.
Tenants are 89% more likely to experience excessive cold in a D-G rated property than one rated A-C.
The average private sector tenant in England pays £350 more a year on heating because of poorly insulated and damp homes, while those in the least efficient properties pay an extra £950, Citizens Advice calculated.
With energy bills set to rise again in April, those in the least efficient homes could pay a "terrifying" £1,190 more a year to keep warm.
The charity’s head of energy policy Gillian Cooper said: "Every week we hear stories of people living in cold, damp and mouldy properties they can't afford to heat properly.
"It's shameful that more than 20 years since legislation came into force to reduce fuel poverty and improve the energy performance of homes, people are still suffering.
"Improving energy efficiency in privately rented homes has never been more urgent. It's the step needed to keep people's essential bills low while also helping to protect their mental and physical health."
A government spokeswoman said: "We are covering around half of the typical household’s energy bill this winter, but these conditions are unacceptable.
“That is why we are introducing a Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector for the first time ever which will make sure tenants have a safe and decent place to live.
“The number of homes with an energy efficiency rating of C or above has already gone from 13% in 2010 to 46% and rising.
“We are also investing over £6.6billion in this parliament to help decarbonise homes and buildings, and to ensure all homes meet EPC band C by 2035.”
Meanwhile, a group of leading charities and campaigning organisations published figures showing a quarter of households regularly run out of money for essentials.
A Survation poll quizzed people in the 100 most deprived and the 100 least deprived constituencies in the UK - with the majority in both groups saying the UK Government’s cost-of-living action was not enough.
Some 37% of people end the month with no money left over, while 24% run out of cash for essentials either most months or most days, it found.
Only 35% of people finish the month with some money to put aside.
Matthew McGregor, chief of campaign group 38 Degrees, said: “This polling paints a bleak picture of the crisis unfolding across the country - families running out of money to put food on the table and keep kids warm is rapidly becoming our new normal.”
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