Coalition says it’s everyone’s right to live in warmth and comfort

The National Home Improvement Council is an important part of the Private Rented Sector energy efficiency coalition, which held a special ‘big pat on the back’ celebration this week in Portcullis House, London SW1.

The coalition aims at raising standards in many thousands of poorly heated homes in the private rented sector by 2016 and focuses on the problem of burgeoning fuel poverty. It is supported by many leading organisations including the WWF and Friends of the Earth.

There is a plethora of influential people behind the coalition including John Leech MP, Lord Best, Baroness Smith of Basildon, Caroline Lucas MP, Andy Atkins, executive director of Friends of the Earth, and the NHIC’s vice-president Baroness Maddock.

Caroline Lucas, the first green MP, said it was vital to continually highlight problem of cold homes for private landlords and government. Many tenants were paying £400 or more a month to live in such abysmal accommodation because they ‘simply could not afford to move!’ Promoting energy efficiency in sub-standard accommodation was highly important.

Baroness Smith made it quite clear what a big difference a warm home made. She explained that it cost the NHS over £140m a year to improve the health of tenants who suffered from existing in cold, damp rooms.

Baroness Smith echoed the entire energy efficiency coalition’s very strong sentiment when she said ‘it is everyone’s right to live in warmth and comfort.’

So it was important to keep up the pressure on private landlords and government to concentrate money and resources on making rented homes warmer, energy efficiency and, consequently, eliminate the cold!

Photos show: Andrew Atkins, executive director, Friends of the Earth: a group of coalition members celebrating their achievements

More information: www.foe.co.uk