Cold homes cost everyone dearly

Melanie Kramers

12 April 2011

An eye-wateringly big gas bill dropped onto my doormat recently. It was an unwelcome reminder of the long, freezing winter we've just endured.

Proper insulation would have helped stop the heat seeping out of the flat, making the bill a lot less painful on the pocket.

With the sun now shining, it's easy to forget about cold houses for a while.  But last week I came across another example of the true cost of draughty rented homes like mine.

Our new report calculates how much the NHS spends caring for people made ill by living in the coldest, health-hazard rented homes - at least £145million every year.

This could be avoided with a new law to make sure landlords fix up the worst houses before they rent them out.

The problem of cold homes won't go away by itself.

We're working to get this law passed this summer as part of the Government's new Energy Bill, to keep tenants toasty at home for many winters to come.

Melanie Kramers, Communications and Media Officer