Archived press release

Big freeze highlights problem of UK's cold homes

9 December 2010

One in three people [34 per cent] in the UK felt uncomfortably cold in their home during the big freeze, a new survey reveals today, as Friends of the Earth calls for urgent Government action to improve the shoddy state of British houses.

The poll, commissioned by the environmental campaigning charity, found that 57 per cent of Britons kept the heating on non-stop for more than 12 hours to try to stay warm - despite energy price hikes that have seen the average annual gas and electricity bill rise to £1,228.

A quarter [24 per cent] of people admitted to keeping their coat, hat or gloves on at home in an attempt to ward off the chill, while a third [30 per cent] tried to protect themselves at night by wearing more than one layer in bed.

Tenants renting from a landlord or through a letting agency fared the worst during the snowy weather, with half saying they felt uncomfortably cold at home [49 per cent]. And a third [34 per cent] turned off the heating because they were concerned about the cost, despite being cold.

These tenants were also the least likely to think their home had adequate insulation [54 per cent], compared to 86 per cent of homeowners who thought their home was adequately insulated and 30 per cent of homeowners who found their house uncomfortably cold.

In fact, Government figures show just 0.3 per cent of English homes are properly insulated to a high standard of energy efficiency that would make them really cheap to heat, and 17 per cent of homes are so cold they can be officially classified as a health hazard to the people living in them.

Friends of the Earth's Warm Homes campaigner Dave Timms said:

"Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean you should be shivering in your home too.

"Many people mistakenly believe their home is properly insulated - in fact, £1 in every £4 we spend heating our homes is wasted due to poor insulation.

"We're calling for the Government's Energy Bill to help keep the chill out of our homes with a nationwide refit - this means a commitment to ensure the coldest two thirds of British houses are improved by the end of the decade.

"Our survey shows tenants renting from a landlord or letting agency have been unacceptably cold at home during the big freeze - to protect them, we need a new law making it illegal to rent out the coldest, health-hazard properties until they are improved."

According to the new poll, 54 per cent of Britons want the Government to do more to help people insulate their homes. Friends of the Earth is calling for the Energy Bill - published in Parliament this morning - to include a pledge to ensure that by 2020, the coldest two thirds of British homes are improved to an energy efficiency standard that is better than the average house today.

Making the UK's homes energy efficient is one of the quickest and cheapest ways to slash carbon emissions - we need to cut C02 from housing by 42 per cent this decade to help avoid dangerous climate change, warns the environmental campaigning charity.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. You can see the full survey by ICM Research on their website.
2. The three million English homes are rented directly from a landlord or through a letting agency are the most likely to be the worst insulated - 40 per cent of these homes were built before 1919.
3. According to recent Department of Energy and Climate Change figures, almost half of homes in the UK lack very basic insulation measures - 47 per cent of lofts and 45 per cent of cavity walls aren't properly insulated.
4. The 'Green Deal' at the heart of the Government's Energy Bill, published today, aims to give the UK's homes a green makeover - but Friends of the Earth is warning that it will leave millions out in the cold. The environmental charity is calling for it to go much further with a strategy for eliminating fuel poverty and cutting climate-changing emissions from houses by 42 per cent this decade, as well as ensuring every community does its bit to slash CO2.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust