Press release
MPs call for tougher fuel poverty action for privately rented homes
6 July 2012
A letter published yesterday evening [Thursday 5 July 2012] from Tim Yeo MP as chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Committee to Energy and Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker, calling on the Government to consider a number ways to strengthen legislation to tackle fuel poverty in privately rented homes, has been welcomed by Friends of the Earth.
The environment charity led the campaign for the inclusion of legislation to establish a minimum energy efficiency standard for rented homes in the Energy Act 2011. This means it will become an offence for a landlord to rent out a property with the very worst levels of energy efficiency (an energy rating of F or G), until it has been improved.
Friends of the Earth Warm Homes Campaigner Dave Timms said:
"This is welcome advice from the Committee - homes rented from a landlord are the most likely to lack basic insulation, meaning they waste energy and cost a fortune to heat.
"With the number of people in rented homes rising annually, the Government must move faster to ensure they meet a basic energy efficiency standard and close loopholes to prevent large numbers of dangerously cold rented homes slipping through the net."
The ECC letter asks the Government to consider a number of improvements to plans including:
• Introducing a register of landlords;
• Starting the new minimum energy efficiency standard in 2016 (rather than 2018 currently planned), and raising it further by 2020;
• Ensuring tenants get legal protection from eviction when they ask for energy efficiency measures.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. The full letter from Tim Yeo MP can be found here:
To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.
If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.
Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jul 2012
