Fuel poverty and the private rented sector

That this House believes it is a national scandal that in 2022-23 almost 5,000 excess winter deaths were caused by people living in cold and damp homes; is deeply concerned that 6.5 million UK households are experiencing fuel poverty following the energy price cap rise in January 2024; urges the Government to provide emergency support for families struggling to pay their energy bills and to alleviate energy debt; notes that the private rented sector (PRS) has the least energy efficient homes of any tenure in the UK and that over a quarter of renting households live in fuel poverty; expresses alarm that the Government has scrapped the planned upgrade to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for the PRS which, according to the Climate Change Committee, would save tenants £255 per year, even under so-called normal energy prices; calls on the Government to reverse this decision and require private landlords to bring their properties up to EPC C by 2028; further notes that, according to National Energy Action, introducing effective regulation for landlords would lead to an £8 billion reduction in the central investment required to meet the target for all fuel poor households in England to reach EPC C by 2030; observes that 80% of landlords are in favour of stricter energy efficiency standards; and further believes that improving the UK’s leaky housing stock would create numerous benefits for public health, the economy and the climate, whilst delivering genuine energy security and ensuring that everyone has a warm, comfortable home.