Press release

Bat for Lashes joins Warm Homes campaign

13 January 2011

Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes has spoken out about living in a cold, slug-infested student house as part of Friends of the Earth's new Warm Homes campaign, launched today.

The musician is urging people to email their MP their own stories about living in a cold home at www.coldtimes.co.uk and demand Government action to stop draughty British houses making people ill and worsening climate change.

It comes the week before parliamentary discussion of legislation to help insulate the nation's homes begins.

Friends of the Earth is warning the Government's current proposal will do little to keep vulnerable tenants warm without a tough new law to stop landlords letting the coldest properties until they're improved.

Properties rented from a landlord or letting agency are most likely to be the worst insulated and a recent Friends of the Earth survey found half of these tenants were uncomfortably cold in their homes during the big freeze.

Natasha Khan, of Bat for Lashes, said:

"We suffered the worst mould you could imagine in my student house.

"Over our two-year let it got to the point where you'd have to dodge at least 20 slugs living off the moisture in the carpet - then inhale black mould spores if the steam from the shower got too much.

"The cold, draughts and dampness were pretty extreme!

"Everyone should get behind Friends of the Earth's campaign to protect tenants in cold houses - it's time to heat our homes, not the planet."

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

"No-one should have to put up with renting a cold, damp home that makes them ill and costs a fortune to heat - £1 in every £4 we spend heating our homes is wasted because of shoddy insulation.

"Stopping British houses leaking heat is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to fight dangerous climate change.

"We need a new law making it illegal to let the coldest, health-hazard properties until they're improved to a minimum energy efficiency standard - and greater support for landlords.

"Tell your MP what it's really like living in a cold home at www.coldtimes.co.uk to join the fight for warmer homes and a safer climate."

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. High-res image of Natasha Khan, Bat for Lashes, available from Friends of the Earth press office on request.
2. A factfile on cold homes and their impact on people and the planet is available.
3. Friends of the Earth is campaigning for the Government's Energy Bill to set a minimum energy efficiency standard for homes rented directly from a landlord or through a letting agency so from 2016 it will be illegal to let the worst, health-hazard homes until they are improved. The environmental campaigning charity is also calling for a duty to improve the coldest two thirds of all homes to a minimum energy efficiency standard by 2020 and totally refurbish at least a third of homes to cut the property's emissions by at least 60 per cent.
4. The full results of the ICM poll, commissioned by Friends of the Earth over 3-5 December 2010.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust