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Energy-hungry rental homes are costing tenants more than $1 billion every year in extra bills, a new analysis of NSW rental homes has found.
Better Renting, a grassroots tenant-driven organisation, says there are 712,000 energy inefficient rental properties in NSW, costing each household more than $2700 annually to ensure their homes are warm in winter and cool in summer.
With cost of living concerns on the rise - especially skyrocketing rents in metropolitan cities and rural NSW - Better Renting Executive Director Joel Dignam says politicians should prioritise improving the energy performance of rental properties.
"Every year, inefficient rental homes mean that renters are missing out on about $1.2 billion in benefits. If these people were owners, government would be on this in a flash," he said on Tuesday.
"But because they are renters, this issue is being ignored."
Governments should step in with tighter energy regulations to protect the millions of people in NSW who are renting homes that offer little protection from the elements, and saddle them with avoidably high-energy costs, the report said.
"What our analysis shows is that there is a free lunch here: bringing up substandard rental properties will help renters with heating and cooling, with benefits worth thousands of dollars per household."
Retrofitting homes, not just ones damaged by floods in recent natural disasters, should be mandated, the report said.
These weather-proofing features such as ceiling insulation, draught-sealing, and window treatments would all reduce energy consumption.
Mr Dignam pointed to Victoria and the ACT governments committing to measures to improve the energy performance of substandard rental properties.
One inner-west Sydney renter Shasha, cited in the Cost of Complacency report said that if her property were more efficient it would not only reduce her energy costs, but also medical expenses.
"My home is in an old complex, and there isn't much in terms of insulation or modern appliances," she said.
"We installed our own thermal curtains, but there's only so much you can do as a renter.
"If my home was more efficient, not only would I be saving on heating, I'd also be spending less on medication and treatment."
