Climate Change

End the delay to cutting emissions and energy bills
9 August 2011

Please tell Housing Minister Grant Shapps to end the delay to cutting emissions and energy bills in cold rented homes.

Energy prices continue to rise - and now 5.5 million households can't afford to heat their home properly and live in fuel poverty.

Research shows that living in a cold home means ill health and even death.

And better heating and insulation slashes climate-changing emissions.

Our supporters have already helped convince Government to tackle the coldest rented homes in the Energy Bill.

But the Government wants to wait until 2018 to act.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps can either help end this pointless delay - or block quicker action.

Please tell Grant to get a move on today

Dear Minister,

As Housing Minister you share responsibility for ensuring that the Government puts in place the policies to end the scandal of fuel poverty and to ensure we cut carbon emissions from the UK's homes. I hope you were as shocked and concerned as I was to hear that 5.5 million households in the UK cannot afford to heat their homes. And with energy prices going up all the time this situation is going to get worse. Homes in the private rented sector are the most likely to be the worst insulated and almost half the worst insulated rented households are in fuel poverty. The Government has now announced it will bring in a minimum energy efficiency standard for rented homes. In principle this is a welcome step forward but I'm very concerned that the standard won't be introduced until 2018. This is two years after the date by which the Government has a duty to end fuel poverty. This measure could lift 150,000 households out of fuel poverty, saving an average of nearly £500 on their fuel bills, and cutting 1.87 million tonnes of CO2 a year. There is absolutely no justification for waiting any longer than necessary for its introduction. I support the call by 180 MPs and 38 organisations for the minimum energy efficiency standard to start in 2016. By 2016 almost 90% of private rented properties are likely to have changed tenants, giving landlords plenty of opportunity to make the necessary changes. You are one of the key Ministers who must agree for this to happen. Please let me know that you are committed to tackling rising energy bills, fuel poverty and improving the standard of rented homes, and therefore support bringing this vital measure forward to 2016.

You can contact me by email (preferably - to save resources) or at the following address:

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Climate Change

End the delay to cutting emissions and energy bills9 August 2011

Please tell Grant to get a move on today

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End the delay to cutting emissions and energy bills
9 August 2011