New Opinium data released by energy efficiency campaigners found that 4.5 million adults, 8 per cent of the population, had been so hot in their home that it made them unwell in the last 12 months1. The figures were published on 1 May 2024 by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, which describes the problem as "Hot House Syndrome"1.
On that sample, 184 respondents reported being made unwell by heat at home in the previous 12 months1. Incidence was higher among people with pre-existing health conditions or disabilities, at 15 per cent1. People aged 18 to 34, people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups, and private renters were more likely to report heat-related ill-health1.
Among the wider issues reported over the last 12 months, problems with sleep affected 31 per cent and the cost of keeping homes at a reasonable temperature affected 17 per cent1. Around half of the population reported no adverse effects from excess summer heat1.
| Group | Share reporting heat-related ill-health |
|---|---|
| All adults | 8% |
| Adults with pre-existing health conditions or disabilities | 15% |
Awareness of the role of insulation appears high: 72 per cent know that proper home insulation keeps homes cool in summer and winter1. On government programmes for insulation and ventilation, 52 per cent fully support formalised schemes and 11 per cent oppose them1. Previous research cited in the same release found four in ten households cannot afford to insulate their homes and need government support1.
"Hot House Syndrome is a real problem caused by the UK's appalling housing stock and affects the poorest and the vulnerable the most. The same people who suffer from damp, mouldy homes in winter are stifled in summer when the sun comes out."
The release also cites the UK's Adverse Weather and Health Plan, which warns there is "clear evidence of increased risk from heat and cold exposure for some", and the Climate Change Committee, which warns that periods of high temperature will become more common and more intense as the UK's climate changes1. Dr Isobel Braithwaite, a public health doctor and housing researcher, said cities can be a few degrees hotter than surrounding countryside, often coupled with poorer-quality housing in some urban areas1.
Why it matters for households
Overheating is usually discussed as a summer nuisance, but the survey treats it as a health and cost problem that runs alongside winter cold. The same building fabric that lets heat escape in winter lets it in during hot weather, which is why insulation and ventilation appear in the same argument1. For a household, the practical link is that a home's ability to stay at a stable temperature affects both bills and wellbeing, and that the people most exposed are those with existing health conditions, younger adults, some ethnic minority groups and private renters1. Private renters have limited scope to change the fabric of a property themselves, which is relevant to renting and home energy. The wider pattern of overheating risk in the housing stock is covered in overheating and hot weather in UK homes, and the underlying stock data sits in the market data section, including housing stock data for England.
What happens next
The release states that the new government will need to act quickly to improve housing standards and roll out a programme to install more insulation and ventilation measures, particularly among lower quality housing stock, according to Simon Francis of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition1. No timetable, funding figure or legislative step is given in the release, and no date has been reported for any government response.
Sources1 cited
- High temperatures herald health fears for millions, endfuelpoverty.org.uk