Alliance Calls for New Laws to Protect Tenants in Cold Homes

Charities and consumer groups concerned about the number of cold, health-hazard rented homes are demanding a new law to protect tenants in a statement to Energy Secretary Chris Huhne. The coalition of 15 organisations, including Friends of the Earth, Age UK, Citizens Advice, Crisis and Disability Alliance, is calling for urgent Government action to make it illegal to rent out the least insulated properties until they are brought up to a higher standard of energy efficiency. Their joint statement says properties rented through private landlords are the most poorly maintained homes and contain large numbers of vulnerable people and those living in fuel poverty. Almost a fifth of private tenants live in fuel poverty and can't afford to heat their homes to a reasonable standard. According to the Government's Fuel Poverty Advisory Group, the past six years have been devastating for the fuel poor as gas and electricity bills have shot up by 125 per cent. Read more on 24dash.