Boris Johnson, rock singer Chris Martin and LibDem energy spokesman Simon Hughes shamed by thermal imaging survey of their homes
A thermal imaging survey of prominent green campaigners' homes has revealed that they often leak as much heat as the rest of ours.
Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat energy and climate change spokesman, who bought his Southwark flat 25 years ago, has failed to fit any insulation to it. Last week he unveiled plans to make every home in Britain energy-efficient in the next decade.
The home of London mayor Boris Johnson, who is offering discounted insulation to Londoners, loses 1,388kWh of energy a year, equivalent to 360kg of CO2, mostly through the windows.
Johnson is a late convert to the environmental cause and has sought to enhance his reputation by offering Londoners discounted home insulation.
However, his five-bedroom Victorian house in Islington, north London, loses 1,388kWh of energy a year, largely because of “excessive” heat loss of around 360kg of CO2 from the upper and lower windows.
Chris Martin, lead singer of rock band Coldplay, owns a £2.5m house in Belsize Park, north London, which wastes 1,020kWh of heat a year.
Martin and his wife, US actress Gwyneth Paltrow, have both championed green issues. Paltrow backed the American “Act Green” energy conservation campaign, while Martin tried to offset CO2 emissions produced by his band's second album by planting a forest of mango trees in India.
A spokesman for Martin declined to comment.
Jenny Jones, a Green Party London assembly member, said: “It's all very well to advise the rest of London how to behave, but if you're going to be credible you've got to do it yourself. He has to put his own house in order.”
The survey was carried out by IRT surveys for the Sunday Times.
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HOME CO2 EMISSIONS from leakage through under-insulation
Sir David Attenborough, broadcaster: 288kg
Lord Smith of Finsbury, chairman of the Environment Agency: 186kg
John Sauven, director of Greenpeace: 158kg
Richard Chartres, Bishop of London: 135kg
Hilary Benn, environment secretary: 126kg
Ed Miliband, energy and climate change secretary: 121kg
David Cameron, Tory leader: 21kg
Figures assume year-round usage of the property
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