London tenants in leakiest homes face £1,000 bounty on energy bills

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has called for an immediate private rent freeze as new analysis shows tenants of the capital's worst insulated homes are facing a premium of almost £1,000.

City Hall figures shared with The Independent shows that Londoners in the leakiest private rental homes - in energy efficiency bands F and G - face a premium of £947 a year.

Half of London's 490,000 private tenants fall below the Band C energy rating standard. They face an average premium of £455 more per year on their bills than those in Band C. /p>

Mr. Khan has called on Liz Truss' government to give him the power to impose a rent freeze in London, arguing it would put around £3,000 in the pockets of those facing rent hikes and housing bills. spiraling energy over the next two years.

Despite Ms Truss's decision to cap annual energy bills at £2,500, the Labor mayor said private tenants would have to pay "much more for energy this winter because private owners have failed to properly insulate "draughty-prone homes.

"I once again urge Ministers to act now to combat not only against the climate crisis, but the energy crisis and the spiraling cost of living crisis by launching a major campaign to insulate homes,” he said.

The Labor Mayor added: "The government must also give me the power to stop the rise in s rents in the capital which would save Londoners £3,000 over two years and curb the inflationary pressure of rents on d households."

Mr. Khan also called for the introduction of a "living tariff" to ensure that the most vulnerable individuals and families receive a basic amount of free energy every day.

He also urged Londoners to check if they are eligible for its Warmer Homes scheme which provides free heating and insulation measures.

The government support scheme to cap energy bills from October will cost £60 billion in the first six months alone. , Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.

The plan to cap annual household energy bills at £2,500 over two years will cost £31billion in the first six months, and the plan to halving business bills will cost an estimated £29billion.

Mr. Kwarteng also outlined a new £40bn program for energy companies, which will see the Bank of England "provide emergency liquidity to energy companies".

But the end Fuel Poverty Coalition - an umbrella group representing 60 charities - said the mini-budget had "nothing" to offer in terms of more targeted support for poo rest.

Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the charity, said he had been "particularly minimal on the support needed to keep people warm this winter".

He warned that energy bills were still set to rise by 64% compared to last winter, when the price cap finally increased this Saturday, October 1.