The Electrical Safety Council has reported that private tenants are disproportionately affected by electric shocks in their homes and that more one fifth of all private tenants already report concerns with electrical safety in their home. The rise in non-professional landlords who are confused over responsibilities puts tenants at further risk

The campaign is being organised by the National Private Tenants Organisation (www.npto.btck.co.uk) and is calling for new legislation to make periodic inspection and testing of electrical installations and appliances compulsory in all types of private rented homes. A competent persons scheme for electricians carying out inspection and testing similar the Building Regulations 'Part P' scheme, is also called for.

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Fuel poverty

What is fuel poverty?
A household is said to be in fuel poverty when they cannot afford to keep adequately warm at reasonable cost.                                   

In the UK, fuel poverty is said to occur when in order to heat its home to an adequate standard of warmth.                                          

A household needs to spend more than 10% of its income to maintain an adequate heating regime.

Fuel Poverty is caused by a convergence of four factors:

Low income, which is often linked to absolute poverty.
                                                                                               
High fuel prices, including the
use of relatively expensive fuel sources (such as electricity in the UK,
aggravated by higher tariffs for low-volume energy users)

Poor  energy efficiency of a home, e.g. through low levels of insulation and old or inefficient heating systems.            

Under-occupancy: according to UK government statistics, on average those in the most extreme fuel
poverty live in larger than average homes

It is a fact that fuel poverty causes more deaths in this country than road traffic accidents.

The most effective way of combating fuel poverty, if one excludes forcible re-housing,                                                                          

is to target energy efficiency measures on homes typically occupied by those on low   incomes.                                                                                                                                                                           

Unfortunately the private rented sector forms a considerable part of this category,                                                                                                                                                                                             

The Blackpool Private Tenants Forum will campaign against fuel poverty
wherever and whenever it can.

On 14 March 2011 the Secretary of State for Energy and
Climate Change, Chris Huhne MP, announced that Professor John Hills had been
requested to undertake a review  to take
a fresh look at the fuel poverty target and definition. 

The link to this full report is

http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/funding-support/fuel-poverty/3226-fuel-poverty-review-interim-report.pdf