UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Citizens Advice says 4.5 million renters rationed energy last winter and urged the government to enforce stricter landlord efficiency standards by 2030.
As reported by The Guardian, Citizens Advice, a consumer charity, revealed that over 40% of private renters in England and Wales limited heating and power last winter to afford rising energy costs.
Citizens Advice’s report about renters rationing energy
Citizens Advice found that 41% of renters, nearly 4.5 million people, limited their energy use, while a third struggled to stay warm through the winter. The majority of the reduction in energy use was in low-efficiency-rated homes.
The charity reported renters going without hot meals, wearing gloves indoors, and limiting heating to one room to afford energy costs.
The group called on the government to enforce stricter rules requiring landlords to upgrade homes to at least an EPC C rating by 2030. They warned that delays to the changes would leave renters stuck in cold and unaffordable homes for longer.
Over 57% of renters live in subpar housing, with most properties rated EPC D or below for energy efficiency.
The charity revealed that households in EPC E-rated homes paid an additional £317 on energy bills last winter, with costs rising to £440 in the least efficient properties.
The group said many renters fear asking landlords for better insulation or energy upgrades, despite the potential for major savings. It reveals that about a third of tenants avoid requesting home improvements due to concerns over landlord disputes or rising rent.
The survey found 13% of tenants seeking upgrades faced rent hikes, while 7% had their requests rejected. The study, conducted in February, surveyed over 2,400 private renters in England and Wales, followed by interviews and focus groups later in the year.
What did Clare Moriarty warn about renters this winter?
Clare Moriarty, CEO of Citizens Advice, stated,
“Our advisers are bracing for more calls this winter from renters trapped in cold, leaky homes.”
She added,
“By 2030, the government must ensure no renter lives in a home that is excessively difficult and expensive to heat. And renters must urgently be given the security they deserve so they can ask landlords to fix substandard housing without fear of retaliation.”
What did Emily Wise say about landlords fixing poor conditions?
Emily Wise, an energy adviser at the North East Lancashire branch of Citizens Advice, stated,
“Sadly, this is an all-too-familiar story. Many of the renters we help day-to-day say their landlords are hesitant to fix the substandard conditions they live in.”
What did the government say about improving rental homes’ energy standards?
A government spokesperson added,
“Everyone deserves to live in a warm, comfortable home. We have consulted widely on our plans to require private rented homes to achieve energy performance certificate C or equivalent by 2030. This could lift up to half-a-million homes out of fuel poverty, while making renters hundreds of pounds better off.”
How much will the energy price cap increase this October?
The cost of shutting down wind farms is pushing household energy bills up by as much as £15 a year, undermining Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s pledge to cut them by £300.
Energy regulator Ofgem said the price cap will climb to £1,755 in October, marking a sharper rise than expected. It explained that the 2% increase reflects the cost of shutting down wind farms in remote areas when the grid is too congested to carry their power.
Michael Shanks’ views on Labour’s plan to cut energy bills
Labour’s Michael Shanks, the Energy Minister, stated,
“That is why the only answer for Britain is this government’s mission to get us off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel prices and onto clean, homegrown power we control, to bring down bills for good.”
She added,
“At the same time, we are determined to take urgent action to support vulnerable families this winter”
What did Craig Lowrey say about rising energy bills for households?
Craig Lowrey of Cornwall Insight stated,
“The rise in bills, however small it may look on paper, will feel very real for households as we head into the colder months.”
He said,
“The increase in costs is in part due to the widely supported expansion of the Warm Home Discount. This will be a lifeline for many of the 2.7m additional households now eligible for support, but for those still facing high bills, it will offer little comfort.”
Mr Lowrey added,
“The reality is, when we give more help to those who need it most, we all end up sharing the cost.”
Labour’s pledge to build homes
Labour plans to build 1.5 million homes in England by 2029, but by mid-2025, only 186,600 homes had been added, just 12% of the target.
Key challenges include labour shortages, planning delays, and high construction costs, meaning significant acceleration is needed to meet the housing goal.