Citizens Advice has warned that more than one in eight private renters, equivalent to 585,000 people, may miss out on support with rising energy costs because their landlord manages their bills. The charity published its findings on 10 June 20221.
The charity states that tenants with a landlord who manages their bills are locked out of accessing the £150 Warm Home Discount, and could also miss out on the £400 energy grant from the government due in October. Both payments can only be received by someone who pays their energy supplier directly1. Citizens Advice says there is currently no legal requirement for landlords to pass on the £400 energy grant to their tenants, and no guidance on how it should be managed fairly by landlords1.
The charity sets out several ways tenants can fall outside existing protections. Where the energy contract is in the landlord's name, tenants cannot change supplier and so cannot capture savings. Where a landlord pays for energy and resells it, the landlord is only legally allowed to charge the same price they paid, but Citizens Advice says tenants can struggle to enforce that right if they believe they are being overcharged. Where energy is supplied through sub-meters, often under a business energy supply contract, the price cap does not apply, so tenants can see rapid price increases and miss out on support; those on prepay sub-meters are described as especially at risk1.
"With the price of energy at a record high, it's vital that government support reaches the people it's intended for. We're worried that many tenants are falling through the cracks, putting them at risk of missing out on money to help them with soaring bills."
Citizens Advice's own survey work, conducted by Yonder Data Solutions with a weighted base of 1,079 private renters in the UK, found that 13 per cent of renters have their energy bill included in the rent. It cites ONS figures showing 4.5 million households rented across the UK in 2017, and that people aged 25 to 34 make up the largest group of renters at 35 per cent. Separate 2016 House of Commons Library figures cited by the charity show 27 per cent of Asian or Asian British people and 21 per cent of black or black British people rented privately, against an average of 17 per cent across the population1.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Renters at risk | 585,000, more than one in eight private renters |
| Warm Home Discount | £150, not accessible where the landlord is the billpayer |
| October grant | £400, no legal requirement for landlords to pass it on |
| Renters with bills included in rent | 13 per cent |
| Largest renter age group | 25 to 34, at 35 per cent |
Why it matters for households
For a household that pays its supplier directly, the £150 Warm Home Discount and the £400 grant arrive through the energy account. Where a landlord holds the account, the money has no route to the tenant, and the tenant has no standing with the supplier to claim it. That leaves the household paying the cost of energy without the support attached to it, and in the case of a sub-meter on a business contract, without the protection of the price cap as well. The charity also notes that tenants with bills included in their rent may not know the support exists or that they are excluded from it1. The practical effect is that control of the energy account, not just the size of the bill, determines whether a home can access support. More than a million rented households were already in fuel poverty in 2021, before prices rose1.
What happens next
Citizens Advice is urging the government to bring forward clear guidance for landlords on how the October grant should be managed where they control their tenants' energy contract, and to ensure tenants can take control of their energy bills if they wish so they can receive support directly1. No date has been given for that guidance. The charity's consumer service can be reached on 0808 223 1133, or 0808 223 1144 to talk in Welsh1.