According to Citizens Advice, 41% of private tenants around 4.5 million people across England and Wales were forced to ration their use of gas and electricity last winter in order to manage soaring energy costs. Additionally, nearly a third (32%, or 3.5 million renters) were unable to heat their homes to a comfortable level.
The charity reports that many renters resorted to extreme coping strategies, such as skipping hot meals, wearing gloves indoors, and confining heating to a single room.
Citizens Advice also highlights that energy bills remain 50% higher than they were before the 2021 energy crisis, placing continued pressure on vulnerable households.
The report goes on to highlight that 57% of private renters are living in homes that fall short of the EPC C energy efficiency benchmark. Those residing in properties rated at the current minimum standard of E paid, on average, £317 more in energy bills last winter than they would have in a C-rated home.
In a strongly worded statement, the charity places the blame squarely on landlords, accusing them of neglecting essential upgrades that could have spared tenants from unnecessary financial strain.
“Renters are currently at the mercy of landlords for essential maintenance like installing effective insulation or fixing draughty windows and doors. But concerningly, nearly a third (29%) of renters avoid asking for repairs or renovations because they fear rent hikes or creating tension with their landlord. Of the 30% who have asked, 13% said their landlord imposed conditions, like higher rent, while 7% said their landlord outright refused.”
The charity is urging robust enforcement of the Renters Rights Bill, set to become law in the coming weeks, to ensure tenants feel secure enough to request essential repairs and energy efficiency upgrades. It also emphasizes the importance of providing landlords with adequate financial assistance to carry out these improvements effectively.
A Citizen Advice spokesperson says: “Sadly, this is an all too familiar story. Many of the renters we help day-to-day say their landlords are hesitant to fix the substandard conditions they live in.
“Leaky, cold and damp housing is a huge problem in our local area, as many homes are particularly deteriorated due to salty sea air and high winds.
“Too often, this is forcing renters to spend disproportionately on gas and electricity in an attempt to achieve basic levels of comfort, as well as having to regularly choose between eating and heating their homes. Despite this, many of those we help are reluctant to raise these issues with their landlords because they fear putting their tenancy at risk.
“Our advisers are bracing for more calls this winter from renters trapped in cold, leaky homes.
“It’s unacceptable that so many tenants are afraid to ask for the very basics – like fixing draughty doors, or replacing poor quality single-glazed windows.
“By 2030, the government must ensure no renter lives in a home that is excessively difficult and expensive to heat. And renters must urgently be given the security they deserve so they can ask landlords to fix substandard housing without fear of retaliation.”