Renters skip hot meals and lower heating to afford energy bills
Two in five renters rationed their gas and electricity last winter
- More than two in five private renters in England and Wales rationed gas and electricity last winter due to high energy bills, according to a Citizens Advice survey.
- A third of private renters, approximately 3.5 million individuals, struggled to heat their homes comfortably, resorting to measures like skipping hot meals or wearing gloves indoors.
- Citizens Advice attributes this to heat escaping from "shoddy" homes, noting that 57 per cent of renters live in properties with an energy efficiency rating below EPC ‘C’.
- Nearly a third of renters avoid asking for repairs or renovations due to fears of rent hikes or creating tension with their landlord, with some facing adverse conditions when they do.
- The charity is calling for the enforcement of the Renters’ Rights Bill to protect tenants from retaliation and for the government to mandate landlords to upgrade properties to a minimum EPC C by 2030.