Illness from cold rental housing costs the NHS in England £145m a year

Cold and energy inefficient privately rented housing in England costs the NHS at least £145m (€166m; $240m) a year, a study carried out by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has found.

Researchers estimated the cost and benefits of repairing private rented dwellings in bands F and G for energy efficiency, the lowest ratings. Housing in these bands has been assessed as likely to present a “category 1 excess cold hazard” under the government’s housing health and safety rating system. The proportion of privately rented dwellings falling into these bands is one …