More than half of those living in privately rented homes are struggling with cold, damp or mouldy conditions - despite paying up to almost £1,000 more a year on heating amid the cost of living crisis.
A survey carried out by Citizens Advice found that around 2.7 million households, including 1.6 million children, are living in poor conditions as a combined result of high energy bills and lack of insulation. A total of 40% of renters said that they felt stressed as a result of living with excessive cold, damp or mould, while 36% said it made them feel anxious.
The charity warned that private renters are some of the worst affected by the rising cost of living, with the average tenant in England paying £350 more a year on heating their home due to poor insulation and damp problems. But the problem is far worse in the least efficient properties, where tenants are paying an extra £950 on average.
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People living in a home with an Energy Performance (EPC) rating at the lower end of the scale, from D-G, are 89% more likely to experience excessive cold than those renting a property rated A-C, as well as 73% more likely to be living with damp. And with energy bills set to rise again in April, those with the least efficient living conditions could soon see themselves paying a staggering £1,190 more a year to keep warm.
Citizens Advice has called on the Government to make changes to the rental sector, including delivering on its promise to ensure all private rentals have a minimum EPC rating of C by 2025. Currently, landlords are only required to bring properties up to an E rating and don't have to make improvements costing more than £3,500 - a cap which Citizens Advice have insisted needs to be increased to £10,000.
The charity has also urged leaders to bring regulation of private renting in line with social housing, following the recently announced proposal from the Government to place strict, legally binding timelines on social landlords to deal with damp and mould. The proposal is named Awaab's Law, after two-year-old Awaab Ishak who tragically died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by mould at his home in Greater Manchester.
Gillian Cooper, head of energy policy at Citizens Advice, 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."
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