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.


Chris Martin, lead singer of rock band Coldplay
Credit:
Feeling hot? Chris Martin, lead singer of rock band Coldplay

However, his five-bedroom Victorian house in Islington, north London, loses 1,388kWh of energy a year, largely because of 鈥渆xcessive鈥� heat loss of around 360kg of CO2 from the upper and lower windows.

Chris Martin, lead singer of rock band Coldplay, owns a 拢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 鈥淎ct Green鈥� 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: 鈥淚t'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.鈥�

The survey was carried out by IRT surveys for the Sunday Times.

Box

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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