Thermal imaging camera used by photojournalist Grey Hutton
(Picture: Grey Hutton)Enfield, Haringey and Croydon are among the coldest neighbourhoods in London, analysis from environmental justice organisation Friends of the Earth has found.
More than 1,000 areas across England and Wales have been analysed and rated on how cold they are, based on homes that are hardest to heat due to low energy efficiency ratings.
The ‘cold’ rating has been determined by calculating households living on low incomes that face energy bills higher than average.
Those in the lowest income decile and with the worst housing conditions are at the top of the ranking.
Haslebury South in Enfield topped the list, followed by Bruce Castle Park in Haringey, Norbury East in Croydon then Southall West in Ealing.
Other cold areas included University Hospital and Queen’s Road in Croydon and Beckton in Newham.
Enfield was among the regions across England with the highest concentrations of ‘coldest neighbourhoods’.
Other locations with the most ‘coldest neighbourhoods’ include Birmingham, Blackpool, Bradford and Bristol.
“Having very little money and living in a home that leaks heat readily is a toxic recipe for being cold, as well as the myriad illnesses that go along with it,” Friends of the Earth said.
The organisation’s analysis found 50 per cent of people living in the coldest areas were renting, and the average proportion of people of colour across all the coldest neighbourhoods was 30 per cent.
People of colour are more than twice as likely to live in some of England’s coldest neighbourhoods, according to Friends of the Earth’s analysis.
It comes as Londoners fear their next energy bill as they turn up the heating following this week’s snow and cold snap.
One father-of-two, from Plumstead in south-east London, said: "I’ve been trying to keep heating off as much as possible, knowing the bill will go through the roof, but it’s been so cold these past few days that I’ve had to give in.
"I started off putting it on for an hour or so here and there, but it’s now pretty much on 24/7, although I’m keeping the water below 40C
"The difference it’s making to my daily usage bill is enormous. Two days ago it shot up to £13. I’m average about £10 a day this past week. If the cold snap continues for weeks, the impact it will have on our budget will be pretty horrific.”
The bitter cold snap is forecast to last until Monday, when warmer temperatures are expected along with rainfall.
