Private renting
Through the Homes Fit For Study campaign, students are taking personal action on the climate crisis within their accommodation. This is important because housing contributes over 15% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions, and students are vulnerable to fuel poverty.
We share information to enable you to save energy at home while maintaining a good standard of wellbeing, as well as empowering you to become leaders among your peers.
The housing sector has a responsibility to reduce carbon emissions, from building carbon neutral homes, to insulating existing ones andmore. As individuals, we can also change our behaviours and take actions, from volunteering and voting, to having climate conversations and reducing unnecessary energy use.
We can all do something about the climate crisis, some can do a lot more than others but our choices and individual actions can collectively help to influence systems change. Within the home, you can take actions such as switching off lights and encouraging friends to change behaviours, as well as lobbying for improved facilities and completing sustainability audits to find areas for improvement.
Take part in Water Week!🌊
There are different activities throughout the week and you can either enter a competition once a day or enter them all at once.
You could also take our masterclass: Climate crisis, food systems, and water scarcity. In this masterclass, you can learn all about how global systems restrict access to water and how to reduce the water footprint of your food.
Follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with the activities this Water Week!
Volunteer and become a sustainability leader.
Take climate action and volunteer with other students to increase positive environmental impacts in student homes. Volunteers receive detailed training around energy use in the home and conduct audits for students to share this knowledge and address common issues in student housing.
Complete our mini-sustainability audit to see how your accommodation scores!
We run programmes and campaigns about various sustainability challenges, and often have opportunities to get involved! Check out our action pages and sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about them.
The average student spends over £500 a year on energy in the private-rented sector. Check out our energy advice to make sure you’re not paying too much for your energy and have a warm and efficient home.
Take a five minute masterclass to find out about your rights as a tenant in the private rented sector.
Stay updated with the latest information about energy saving, ways to win prizes and how to get more involved in the campaign.
26th October, 12pm, Getting to grips with energy bills: This webinar covered the topic of energy bills, including how to choose an energy supplier and/or tariff to meet your needs, how energy bills are charged, and some top tips for reducing your energy bills.
22nd November, 12pm, Warmer homes and managing damp when renting privately: This webinar covered managing damp and mould in rented accommodation, and some top no- and low-cost tips for a warmer home when living in the private rented sector.
8th December, 12pm, House hunting for a warm home: This webinar covered the topic of house hunting in the private rented sector as a student, particularly focusing on how to make sure your next house will be warm, in good condition and free of damp.
Watch our other recorded webinars, covering topics including moving into the private rented sector sustainably, the 2022 energy crisis, and careers in sustainability.
We have put together a number of written guides to support students living in the privately rented sector:
Our masterclasses take 5-10 minutes to complete online and cover a variety of sustainability topics:
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No matter where you live you can follow our advice for a more sustainable home. If you live in accommodation provided by one of the universities listed below, click on the logos to find out how your residence is doing and activities you can get involved in.
