A new report has revealed the apparent difficulties of older private renters in cold, energy in-efficient homes and the barriers in making the necessary property improvements.  

The charity Independent Age says that the proportion of people aged 65 and over living in privately rented homes is predicted to increase significantly. It suggests that by 2040, if current trends continue, more than one in every four older people could be privately renting. 

And it says that with poverty in later life closely linked to whether a person is privately renting, improving the situation for older private renters is an important goal to bring down levels of financial hardship in later life.  

When asking tenants about EPCs, Independent Age found that despite cold homes and the expense of heating them being a major issue for tenants, there was little awareness of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and what they mean.  

There was also a lack of trust in EPC ratings. One older renter said that the EPC said that the yearly cost of the energy use of their property was predicted to be £475 but that they ended up spending over £1,000.  

Two thirds (66%) of older private renters supported raising the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) in the private rented sector from E to C. Analysis by Rightmove in November 2024 found that the average energy bill for a two bedroom flat rated EPC C is half that of the average bill for a comparable home rated EPC E (£1,367 compared to £2,737). 

Independent Age is also calling for government help for landlords to improve their properties so they are more energy efficient. 

Its analysis shows that in England, only 38% of landlords were aware of existing grants and programmes, and that 58% of landlords said that cost was a barrier to retrofitting their home.  

A spokesperson for Independent Age says: “Living in a cold home is awful at any age, and for older people it is especially dangerous. Not only do low temperatures put your mental and physical health at risk, but we speak to older private renters who have been forced to skip meals or wash in cold water so they can afford to heat their energy inefficient home.  

“It’s vital that the UK Government acts to ensure homes in the private rented sector are brought up to higher standards of energy efficiency. Not only will this help reach the UK’s net-zero targets, importantly, it will mean older private renters on a low income do not have to live in a home that is dangerous for their health.”