Tag: Energy Efficiency

Ministers face voter backlash if Warm Homes Plan is cut

Trust in Labour will be further threatened if the Chancellor scales back funding for home insulation and lowering energy bills, according to new polling released today, in echoes of the row over Winter Fuel Payments.

Recent media reports suggest that the Chancellor is considering reducing the funding available to insulate homes. [1]

The research by Opinium reveals that nearly half (46%) of Labour voters say that any backtracking from Labour’s manifesto commitment to invest in insulating the country’s poor housing stock would further reduce trust in Sir Keir Starmer’s government. [2]

Among those who voted for Labour in the last general election but aren’t currently planning on voting for them again, well over half (56%) say it would reduce their trust in Labour – damaging the party’s attempts to woo voters back from Reform, the Lib Dems, Greens and others. [3]

Almost half (48%) of Labour voters said the warm homes election promise was a factor in their decision to vote for the Labour Party. 

Labour promised to invest £13.2bn in a Warm Homes Plan to help improve the country’s leaky housing, which is making people ill and driving up NHS demand. A recent Medact survey found that three-quarters of front-line clinicians regularly see patients made ill by poor housing conditions, and almost half have discharged patients into homes they knew would make them sick again.   

In the run-up to the General Election, over half of prospective Labour voters (59%) said they supported a funded nationwide insulation programme to slash deaths caused by cold, damp houses. Meanwhile other researchers found that 59% of voters opposed stripping all pensioners of Winter Fuel Payments. [4]

In the new research, pollsters found that nearly all voters (87%) believe it is important for political parties to stand by their manifesto commitments. 

Ed Matthew, UK Director for the climate change thinktank E3G said: 

“Cutting a programme that will make immediate and direct improvements to people’s lives would backfire. 

“The public is sick of wasting money trying to heat cold, leaky houses and want this government to honour its manifesto pledge. If they fail to do so it would demonstrate that Labour have not learned from the Winter Fuel debacle at all.”

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said:
“This polling clearly shows that it is now a case of heat or defeat for the Government. 

“The Labour Manifesto said the promised funding will offer grants and low interest loans to support investment in insulation and other improvements such as solar panels, batteries and low carbon heating to cut bills.

“Either they back a Warm Homes Plan to the full extent promised in the manifesto, or they will be punished at the ballot box. 

“The Chancellor must not be able to engineer another ‘Winter Fuel Payment’ disaster by refusing to help tackle fuel poverty and MPs should make that clear.”

The polling comes on the day that health workers will deliver an open letter to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting MP, endorsed by several royal colleges. The letter urges the Government to honour its election promise to reduce energy bills and allocate at least £13.2 billion to a nationwide insulation programme in the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review. 

Maria Carvalho, spokesperson for Medact, commented:

“It’s simple. All we want is what was promised in the election campaign. That means a fully funded Warm Homes Plan, investment in green jobs, skills, and training, stronger protections for renters after upgrades are completed and delivery of high-quality home retrofits.”

In recent days groups of businesses and over 50 senior figures from charities have written to the Treasury to express concerns that the Warm Homes Policy policy is facing severe cuts.

Deputy Director of Uplift, Robert Palmer, added: “The nearly nine million people up and down the country living in cold damp homes, desperately need the Government to commit to the Warm Homes Plan.

“It is so important to them that this research reveals 46% Labour voters will lose further trust in the party if it backtracks on this key pledge.

“There is now deep concern following reports that the Treasury is looking to trim the amount the government has pledged to spend on insulating homes

“We have some of the leakiest housing stock in Europe and the priority should be making those fit to live in through the promised £13.2 billion Warm Homes Plan announced in the 2024 manifesto.

“We’re calling on the Government to commit to this funding now, which is also crucial to their election promise to bring down energy bills. If they don’t it could be a broken promise too far for many of those who put their faith in voting for Labour last July.”

ENDS

[1] Sources: The Times (27.05.25), the FT (05.05.25), Politico MEC Bulletin (29.04.25)

[2] Opinium conducted a politically and nationally representative online poll of 2,050 UK adults from 14th – 16th May 2025.

[3] Of the Labour voters polled, the research suggests 54% would still vote for the party, but 12% would vote Reform, 7% would vote Lib Dem, 6% Lib Dem, 3% Conservative with the others choosing another party or now being unsure of their vote.

[4] “Over half of prospective Labour voters…” Opinium conducted a politically and nationally representative online poll of 2,185 UK adults from 29th – 31st May 2024.

Two thirds of people (67%) were also aware of the move to remove winter fuel allowance payments from pensioners, apart from those who receive means-tested benefits, and 59% opposed it, with only 28% in favour. YouGov / ECIU.

Report reveals scale of health crisis fuelled by poor housing

A new landmark report by health charity Medact reveals that three quarters of health workers regularly see patients whose poor housing is harming their health – with more than 1 in 10 witnessing this almost every day.

Drawing on an opinion poll of over 2,000 healthcare workers, Home Sick Home: Frontline views on the public health crisis of unhealthy homes explores the public health impacts of the UK’s housing crisis on patients, health workers, and the NHS. The study found that nearly half (45%) of health workers have had to send a patient home knowing their housing would make them ill again.

“We see the same issues time and again – families living in mould-ridden, insecure homes, children developing asthma and anxiety, elderly people afraid to turn on their heating,” said Sophia, a clinical psychologist quoted in the report. “We’re not treating patients. We’re sending them back into the very conditions that made them sick.”

Key findings:

  • 70% regularly see mental health conditions caused or worsened by housing issues

  • 65% see patients living in excessively cold homes; 61% hear of damp and mould; 63% see unaffordable rent driving ill-health

  • 64% regularly treat children whose health problems are likely linked to insecure housing; 67% say damp and mould are causing children’s respiratory issues.

The report echoes previous findings of research by the Social Workers Union which revealed that over a fifth (21%) of social workers working with children, young people and families have seen their service remove a child or children from their family in the last three years where unsafe or inappropriate housing conditions was a key contributing factor.

The report says that the crisis is especially acute among vulnerable groups, with older adults, disabled people, and children experiencing housing-related illness. From mental health crises in new parents to chronic asthma in children, the testimonies included in the report reveal how unsafe housing is deepening health inequalities across the UK. The survey found that 66% of respondents see disabled people in unsuitable homes likely making them ill at least once a month.

“Given everything we know about the positives of good-quality housing, I never thought I’d see a rise in Victorian-age diseases,” said children’s doctor Krishnan in the report.

From cold, damp, overcrowded homes to skyrocketing rents and constant eviction threats, the report paints a picture of a housing system in collapse – and a public health crisis that is impacting both people’s health and the NHS.

It shows that health workers back political action to protect patient health and the NHS: 69% believe making renting more affordable would reduce the burden on the NHS, whilst 58% say increasing the supply of social housing would ease NHS pressures

More than two thirds (69%) agreed with the statements “I feel powerless to support my patients with their housing conditions” and “government spending to prevent illnesses created by cold homes is better for the NHS than having to spend money to nurse patients back to health”.

The report sets out ten recommendations, including rent controls, a national retrofitting programme, building more social housing, and a social energy guarantee to ensure no one has to choose between heating and eating.

Medact member and children’s doctor Dr Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy said:

“Colleagues feel a deep-seated sense of helplessness and feel redundant in their capacity to make meaningful health improvements in the lives of patients. Coupled with the existing pressures of working in a system that’s under-resourced, this leads to apathy. It’s tempting to think that the NHS alone can socially prescribe its way out of the housing crisis, but my experiences and those of colleagues suggest this simply will not scratch the surface let alone bring meaningful and lasting change. Yes, the NHS does need resourcing but if we’re serious about ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’, then that needs to be translated into policy.”

Laura Vicinanza, Senior Policy and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Inclusion London said:

“It is no secret that disabled people are at the sharpest end of the housing crisis. Yet, this problem has been ignored for decades. Too many Disabled people are trapped in inaccessible homes, battling evictions, and facing skyrocketing rents – often forced to cut back on essentials just to afford their housing costs. Medact’s new report uncovers a very grim reality: poor and unaffordable housing doesn’t just worsen people’s existing health conditions—it creates new ones, with health professionals left to pick up the pieces of a broken housing system. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The Government has the power to solve this crisis. They can act now by making rents more affordable and kickstarting a revolution in accessible social homebuilding. We cannot afford to wait any longer.”

Dr Abi O’Connor, researcher at the New Economics Foundation, said:

“Private landlords have been allowed to increase rents to eye-watering levels and now we’re seeing the consequences – it’s making people and our economy sicker. If the government are interested in improving the economy for ordinary people, it is clear they must address the plague of unaffordable rents. In the short term they should introduce rent controls to give people stability, and in the long term they will need to build more social housing which is the only way to provide people with safe, affordable homes .”

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“Addressing the housing challenge is more than health workers can do themselves.

“Not only do we need to see investment in a £13.2bn Warm Homes Plan to help improve housing conditions, but we also need a full range of fully-functioning and well-resourced public services.”

Social workers report cold homes crisis for children

As millions of households struggled through last winter in cold damp homes, the impact on children has been revealed in newly released data.

Over a fifth (21%) of social workers working with children, young people and families have seen their service remove a child or children from their family in the last three years where unsafe or inappropriate housing conditions was a key contributing factor. [1]

Unsafe housing conditions can include maintenance issues, mould, damp, insect or vermin infestations or cramped conditions.

More broadly, 78% of all social workers strongly agree that housing conditions are a concern for people they support, with over a third (36%) strongly agreeing that over the last three years, the number of people they help live in unsafe or inappropriate housing conditions which has increased.

The research among social workers was conducted by the Social Workers Union and follows previous reports by ITV that the cost of living crisis has led to a third of UK social workers witnessing child removals in the past three years where poverty or financial poverty has been a key factor.

John McGowan, General Secretary of the Social Workers Union, commented:

“Removal of a child from their family is always a last resort, but sadly when conditions become dangerous action has to be taken.

“This data shows that the reality of life in modern day Britain is a struggle for many households. The country’s poor housing stock poses a danger to the wellbeing and development of children and poses a risk to the health of many adults with pre-existing health conditions.

“Social workers go above and beyond to help those at most risk in the country and are highlighting safeguarding concerns on a regular basis. However, addressing the housing challenge is more than social workers can do themselves. 

“Not only do we need to see investment in a £13.2bn Warm Homes Plan to help improve housing conditions, but we also need a full range of fully-functioning and well-resourced public services. 

“Ministers must own up to the fact that it is only the Government that can provide the funding to reverse the decline in public services and ensure the most vulnerable get the support they need.”

Among all social workers, housing conditions are a concern with large numbers strongly agreeing that ‘the number of people I work with who are living in unsafe or inappropriate housing conditions’ has increased over the last 3 years.

However, the results varied across the UK, with those in the North East of England, London and Wales most likely to report that housing was a major concern. [2]

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said:

“Millions of people from the youngest children to our oldest pensioners are living in cold damp homes, unable to heat their homes to a safe temperature or racking up massive debts – with some even turning to loan sharks. 

“To add insult to injury, around a quarter of what is spent on heating our draughty properties is wasted, because the UK’s old housing stock is some of the worst insulated in Europe.

“Ministers are making the right noises when it comes to helping improve housing, but the Chancellor needs to put the money where their mouth is and commit the funding needed for a Wam Homes Plan which will help people improve the energy efficiency and insulation of their homes.

“And until these reforms are delivered, Ministers must not forget about the millions of people suffering in cold damp homes – they should provide enough support to ensure that everyone is able to stay warm every winter.”

Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy, an NHS Children’s Doctor based in South Yorkshire, commented:

“Some of the most acute harms of the UK’s unsafe, unaffordable and insecure housing are shouldered by our most disadvantaged children and young people.

“Whilst the findings of this report are shocking, they won’t come as a surprise to many of us working in the NHS. Increasingly, children’s health professionals across the UK are witnessing cases of respiratory illness, undernutrition and worsening mental health all linked to undignified housing circumstances. 

“What’s more, rather than providing a foundation for their health, unfit, unsafe and expensive housing continues to severely impact their educational attainment, social health and life chances.

“Without radical change towards fairer policies that support affordability, energy efficiency, accessibility and security of tenure, housing will continue to entrench and reproduce childhood mass illness and stark disadvantage.”

Matthew Scott, senior policy officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing, added:

“Warm, safe homes are the cornerstone of our health, but this research demonstrates the life changing impact housing can have on children’s wellbeing.

“Local authorities’ Housing Revenue Accounts are stretched to their limit following decades of rent cuts and caps over the last ten years, and it is nearly three decades since the last significant central investment in upgrading homes, which came through the transformative Decent Homes Programme.

“The government should seize the opportunity to reverse the cycle of underinvesting in housing quality, so every child has a safe, secure home. In its forthcoming Spending Review, we urge the government to set out a new programme of investment in existing homes, including fully allocating the £13.2 billion promised for its Warm Homes Plan and taking steps to put the finances of housing providers on a more stable footing.”

ENDS

[1] 2,295 members of the Social Workers Union responded to a survey conducted online between 3 and 21 October 2024. Respondents were screened to ensure active employment in social work. ITV News broadcast a report with unique access behind the scenes with a social work team on 4 December 2024.

[2] Regional / National differences for this question:

  • North East 41%
  • London 41%
  • Wales 41%
  • South East 39%
  • Yorkshire & Humber 39%
  • North West 39%
  • East Midlands 38%
  • Northern Ireland 37%
  • West Midlands 32%
  • South West 28%
  • Scotland 24%
  • East of England 26%

Featured image posed by model. Signed model release on file with Shutterstock, Inc (asset ID 510078436).

Millions to spend a fourth winter in cold damp homes

New figures reveal that 16% of UK adults (8.8m people) live in cold damp homes, exposed to the health complications that come from living in fuel poverty. [1]

While the Government has announced that a Warm Homes Plan will help improve people’s homes in years to come, this will come too late for the one in ten (9%) who frequently experienced, dangerous, levels of mould in their homes over the past 12 months.

People who live in poorly insulated homes risk seeing damp and mould spread and the NHS warns that people living in these conditions are more likely to have respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies or asthma. 

Damp and mould can also affect the immune system while living in such conditions can also increase the risk of heart disease, heart attacks or strokes.

Cold homes can cause and worsen respiratory conditions, cardiovascular diseases, poor mental health, dementia and hypothermia as well as cause and slow recovery from injury.

To tackle the problem, a large majority of people support a fully funded nationwide insulation and ventilation programme to create healthy, energy efficient homes that will slash excess deaths caused by cold, damp houses in winter. 

Nearly three-quarters (72%) agree the worst insulated homes should be the priority as almost half (47%) of those polled are worried about how they will stay warm this winter, with 46% worried if they have to rely on the NHS this winter. [2]

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“The sheer numbers of people living in cold damp homes this winter should send alarm bells ringing throughout Westminster. 

“These shocking figures have hardly changed since last year and with energy bills heading upwards again in January, the situation is now critical for the Government.

“The Chancellor must take two immediate steps in the Comprehensive Spending Review. Firstly, she must fully support the Warm Homes Plan with £13.2bn of funding and a commitment to help the worst insulated homes get support first.

“Then Ministers must also bring in more support for vulnerable households this winter and speed up plans to bring in a social tariff for next winter – a move that is backed by the vast majority of voters.”

Following the findings of the poll, commissioned by campaign group Warm This Winter, organisations have signed an open letter sent to Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury calling for the Government to commit to the  £13.2 billion. 

Warm This Winter spokesperson Caroline Simpson said: “It is shocking that whilst people are looking forward to celebrating the festivities, too many are still living in true Dickensian conditions, where cold damp homes are making them ill.

“We need to see a Government that has the ambition to create the homes people deserve and banish these appalling conditions to a bye-gone era where they belong.”

ENDS

[1] Opinium conducted an online survey of 2,000 UK adults between 22nd and 26th November 2024. Results have been weighted to be nationally representative.  In 2023, there were 54,196,443 people aged 18 plus in the UK according to ONS.

[2] Opinium conducted an online survey of 2,014 UK adults between 7th and 8th October 2024. Results were weighted to be nationally and politically representative of the UK adult population.

Insulate us from energy shocks say bill payers as public reveal cold winter fears

New figures from the Warm This Winter campaign have found that almost half (47%) of those polled are worried about how they will stay warm this winter, with 46% worried that they may need to rely on the NHS this winter. [1]

Over 65s are the most concerned group with half (50%) worried about how they will stay warm and the same number of older people scared about needing to use the NHS in the colder months.

The figures come after data, released by the DWP to the House of Commons Select Committee on work and pensions, have shown thousands of pensioners will be pushed into poverty by the decision to remove Winter Fuel Payments.

Campaigners warn that the official statistics are likely an underestimate of the suffering caused by the decision. Those missing out on Winter Fuel Payments this year include 1.2m pensioners in absolute poverty and 1.6m disabled older people.

As part of the long term solution to cold damp homes, the Warm This Winter data shows that nearly three quarters (72%) of the public want the UK’s worst homes to be prioritised with a properly funded insulation and ventilation scheme.

But until the Government’s Warm Homes Plan is introduced, energy bills remain around 65% higher (c.£700 per average household) than in winter 2020/21 – a fourth winter of the energy bills crisis driven by our over reliance on expensive gas.

As the first cold snap of the 2024/25 winter hits home, data analysis by academics has found fuel poor households are using dangerously low amounts of energy during freezing weather.

This has also led to calls to reform the Cold Weather Payments so they are paid out when the Met Office predicts the temperature in the next 24 hours is likely to fall to -4C or below, rather than paid after a cold snap as is the case at present.

As well as short term measures to high energy bills, six out of 10 people actively support a fully-funded nationwide insulation and ventilation programme to create healthy, energy efficient homes that will also make bill payers less exposed to energy shocks.

Experts have calculated it could save households up to £400 on yearly energy bills.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said:

“The dangerous situation households will face this winter is becoming clearer – more people are likely to be living in cold damp homes which will put people in harm’s way.

“Fully funding support to insulate, ventilate and improve the heating in people’s homes is the fastest way to bring down energy bills for good.

“Households – and employers in the industry – need the reassurance that the Government will stick to its word and deliver the £13.2bn investment in the Warm Homes Plan that they promised during the election campaign.

“But home improvements on such a scale will take time to take effect and will be no comfort to those struggling this winter.

“That’s why it is so vital the ministers bring in more support for vulnerable households this winter and speed up plans to bring in a social tariff for next winter – a move that is backed by the vast majority of voters.”

Caroline Simpson, spokesperson for the Warm This Winter campaign said:

“The public have spoken. They want a comprehensive, funded, insulation and ventilation programme which prioritises the worst homes first. 

“If the Government acts now and puts the right measures in place, it would be welcomed by the majority of people in the UK no matter how they voted in July. And as well as making healthier, happier homes, it would also bring down bills in the long term, which would protect us from the ongoing cycle of energy shocks.”

Support for a funded insulation and ventilation programme crosses party lines with 69% of those who intend to vote Labour, 65% of Liberal Democrats, 54% of Conservatives and 53% of Reform, backing a more comprehensive plan. 

Jan Shortt, National Pensioners Convention (NPC) General Secretary said: 

“Will the Chancellor now reconsider her decision and reinstate the Winter Fuel Payment to all pensioners this year – or will she take responsibility for the risk to the health and welfare of those struggling to survive the cold without the allowance?

“Given that we already have freezing weather across the country, it is inevitable that those without the support of the Winter Fuel Payment will be suffering in cold homes – many afraid to turn the heating on at all. 

“The NPC is concerned to learn that the wait for those applying for pension credit is extended to 10 weeks as the extra staff being brought into the DWP will not be trained until the new year.  This delay will take those applicants who need their winter fuel payment now to at least February. 

“We genuinely fear that some may not survive to see February and their delayed payment.”

ENDS

Opinium conducted an online survey of 2,014 nationally and politically representative UK adults between 7th and 8th October 2024

 

Ministers unveil plans to help renters, but winter fuel payments axe stays

The Energy Secretary has announced a plan to ensure warm homes for all renters  – in both private and social rented housing – in his speech to Labour’s annual conference.

What ministers claim is the “biggest boost to home energy standards in history” follows the Deputy Prime Minister’s confirmation of a raft of measures to ensure good quality homes for all.

Under the plans, landlords will be banned from renting out properties that don’t meet stricter energy efficiency standards.

Caroline Simpson, Warm This Winter campaign spokesperson, said:

“This is very welcome news. UK properties are some of the worst insulated in Europe, with millions of Brits currently condemned to living in cold, damp, mouldy homes they can’t afford to heat. With energy bills still 65% more than they were at the start of the energy crisis, home insulation is the quickest way to bring down bills, but is seldom prioritised by landlords.

“The government must now ensure the private rented sector meets its obligations to tenants, as well as ring fencing funding for local authorities to make these promised energy efficiency upgrades a reality for those living in social housing.”

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition commented:

“People in rented accommodation are almost twice as likely to live in cold damp homes compared with people who own their own properties. [1]

“The Energy Secretary is to be congratulated for recognising the importance of the need for better energy efficiency standards in rented homes, but the Government shouldn’t drag their heels with more consultations.

“This issue has been consulted on widely in the past and Ministers must move to take action. There is no time to waste as improvements will take months or years to be felt by tenants and the longer it takes, the more support households will need to stay warm in the winter.

“That’s why right now we also need to see the Government revoke cuts to the winter fuel payment for this year and commit to more support for vulnerable households so that everybody can stay warm this winter and next.”

However, in her speech, Rachel Reeves refused to back down on plans to cut Winter Fuel Payments from 1.2m pensioners in absolute poverty and for 1.6m older people with disabilities.

An End Fuel Poverty Coalition spokesperson added:

“The Chancellor doubled down on her gamble with older people’s lives to fill a budgetary black hole, which according to reports is £10bn less than was initially claimed. And that’s before the Government takes receipt of the £3bn which it is recovering from the collapse of one of the energy firms.

“While Rachael Reeves tries to claim that the triple lock on pensions is enough to replace Winter Fuel Payments, personal finance experts point out that the rise starts next April, when pensioners face an energy bills crisis now. Equally, there are up to 800,000 of the poorest pensioners who get less than the full state pension and don’t even get Pension Credit.

“And of course, the full rise only applies to the one in four pensioners who get the ‘new’ state pension.”

ENDS
[1]  Research by Opinium for Warm This Winter campaign among a representative sample of 2,000 UK adults in November 2023 found 13% of those who own outright and 12% of those who own with a mortgage live in cold damp homes. This compares with 25% of those who live in a private rented home, 23% rented from a local authority and 19% rented from a housing association.

High temperatures herald health fears for millions

4.5 million adults (8% of the population) have been so hot in their home that it has made them unwell in the last 12 months according to new data released by energy efficiency campaigners. [1]

The issue is now becoming such a concern that it has been dubbed the ‘Hot House Syndrome’.

The research by Opinium reveals that among specific groups, there is a much higher incidence of ill-health caused by high heat among those with preexisting health conditions or disabilities (15%).

The UK’s Adverse Weather and Health Plan warns that “there is clear evidence of increased risk from heat and cold exposure for some” and in 2023, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) / University of Glasgow’s Hot Homes project revealed how poor quality housing acts like a “greenhouse” for residents trapped in “stifling” and “unlivable” homes.

Fiona Waters, spokesperson for the Warm This Winter said: 

“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.

“That’s because the solutions to keep us warm in the colder weather are the same as keeping us cool in summer. Better insulation, ventilation and even heat pumps that can operate in a cooling mode can all help. But the public need financial support to upgrade their homes.”

Dr Isobel Braithwaite, Public Health Doctor and housing researcher, commented:

“The complications arising from being too warm are especially dangerous among those with pre-existing health conditions and can contribute to summer being as dangerous to health as the winter in some cases.

“This research has also highlighted, for the first time, some unique insights into other groups who may be more likely to be affected by the problem.

“We know cities, and particularly bigger cities, can be on average a few degrees hotter than the surrounding countryside, hence more heat-health risks. This is often coupled with poorer-quality housing in some urban areas.”

Previous analysis has shown that low income areas are particularly vulnerable to summer heat and the new figures expand on this to also reveal that those renting from private landlords are the most likely to suffer from one of the issues related to keeping cool in summer.

The new Opinium data also indicated that people aged 18-34, those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups and those who rent from private landlords were more likely to experience heat related ill-health.

Despite public knowledge that proper home insulation keeps homes cool in summer and winter (72% are aware), previous research has found that four in ten households can’t afford to insulate their homes and need Government support.

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“The new Government will need to act quickly to improve housing standards and roll out a turbocharged programme to install more insulation and ventilation measures, especially among lower quality housing stock.”

Among the general public, 52% fully support formalised government programmes for insulation and ventilation with just 11% opposing such a plan.

Meanwhile the independent Climate Change Committee warns that “as the UK’s climate changes in the coming decades, periods of high temperature will become more common and more intense. As recent heat waves have demonstrated, high temperatures are a dangerous threat to health and wellbeing and reduce economic productivity.”

Matthew Scott, from the Chartered Institute of Housing, commented:

“The summer heatwaves of recent years offer a glimpse of what normal summer temperatures might look like in the future. 

“As our world warms, this research adds to the growing body of evidence that energy efficiency and retrofit is crucial for making sure people can stay cool and healthy at home, as well as warm.”  

Dr Braithwaite added:

“Whether you’re in a large city or a rural area, part of the solution to ill-health caused by heat is to ensure homes are well ventilated and insulated. This helps keep people cool in summer and warm in winter.

“Without action, heatwaves in the future will herald health fears for millions.”

At the Centre for Sustainable Energy, experts have provided low cost advice on how to keep your home cool, but as Ian Preston from the CSE adds:

“A well-insulated and ventilated home will actually help with keeping the heat out too. If you’re able to invest in insulation do so, just make sure ventilation is considered at the same time.”

Around half of the population isn’t adversely affected by excess summer heat, but for those that do suffer, problems with sleep (31%) and the cost of keeping their homes at a reasonable temperature (17%) were among the most common issues experienced in the last 12 months.

Seven measures that can help those affected in the short term, include.

  1. If you have a fan you can use it. People are put off by the cost but the average fan uses less than 100 watts of energy so costs around 3p per hour. 
  2. Keep windows shut and curtains closed in rooms that get the sun.
  3. Keep bowls of water around your home.
  4. Use appliances carefully as kettles, ovens and even fridges can create extra heat.
  5. Cooler rooms tend to be north facing and can provide a welcome respite or place to live for the more vulnerable during a heatwave.
  6. Use a sheet instead of a duvet for humid nights.
  7. Cool your body down by putting your feet in cool water or putting a cold towel over your shoulders. 

ENDS
[1] Opinium conducted an online survey of 2,185 nationally and politically representative UK adults between 29th and 31st May 2024. On a nationally representative sample of 2,185 UK adults, 184 have been so hot in their home that they have been unwell in the last 12 months. 184/21

General election candidates asked for views on ending fuel poverty

After years of staggering energy bills, candidates in the General Election have been asked to give their views on the steps they will champion to help end fuel poverty.

New Ipsos polling has revealed that the cost of living crisis is the second most important issue to voters heading to the polls.

Now the End Fuel Poverty Coalition has launched a survey which asks candidates three questions about the cost of energy and the cold damp homes scandal.

Campaigners have claimed that the next Government will need to act quickly after the election to end energy debt, protect households from the energy market, bring down bills for good, improve housing standards and make Britain a clean energy superpower.

Voters can also use the survey when MP hopefuls arrive at their door, so they can find out who is most likely to get to grips with fuel poverty and so they don’t have to face another winter choosing between eating and heating.

The poll asks candidates if they think the cost of energy bills is an issue for people living in their constituency and then asks them to rank a set of four solutions in priority order.

The solutions include targeted financial support for energy bills, help to upgrade homes, access to cheaper energy and a long term plan to get off oil and gas.

The final question asks candidates what they will do to help end fuel poverty if they get elected.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“Anyone standing for Parliament needs to be left in no doubt that the public is angry about vulnerable people living in cold, damp homes, whilst prices rise and the energy industry profits.

“Candidates will need to go into their new role as an MP ready to take responsibility and demand urgent action on behalf of those they represent. Nothing less will do.”

Research from winter 2023/24 has highlighted that 8.3m million people live in cold, damp homes with the NHS warning that they are more likely to have respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies or asthma.

Over a third (38%) of people from households where someone is under 5, pregnant, over 65 or with preexisting health conditions thought they might not be able to afford to put the heating on at all this winter.

Nearly four in 10 UK households (39%) say they cannot afford to insulate their homes.

Scottish public call on Ministers to fix nation’s damp homes

An overwhelming majority of the public have called on the Scottish Government to do more to end the cold damp homes crisis.

New figures published in the Daily Record found that 94% of the public wanted action designed to offset the challenges caused by record energy prices. [1]

The data commissioned by the Warm This Winter campaign found that the public was divided among the solutions they wanted to see, but there was clear support for more financial help for households as well as action on the long term solutions to the energy crisis, such as energy efficiency and insulation support.

  • 51% of the public want more government financial support to help households with high energy bills
  • 50% demand funding and support to install solar panels on homes
  • 38% support more funding to help with insulation in homes
  • 30% say there should be help for businesses to install solar panels or other small-scale renewable projects
  • 29% back better protection for tenants living in rented accommodation
  • 26% think there should be better energy efficiency advice and guidance
  • 25% want more funding to help install heat pumps
  • 3% would like more measures to tackle high energy bills, but don’t know what solutions they would like to see
  • 6% don’t support any of these solutions to tackle high energy bills (respondents could select more than one option)

Recently members of the Scottish Parliament were urged to put political differences aside to unite in support measures that will help end fuel poverty.

In a letter sent to all MSPs and to Scottish Government ministers, politicians were asked to ensure the new First Minister does not abandon government policies which could help end the cold damp homes crisis.

The letter, signed by leading civil society organisations and coordinated by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition and Energy Action Scotland, warned that among the most vulnerable, the crisis is even worse.  It came after figures from research among Social Workers Union members found that 69% of Scottish social workers have seen the people they support living in cold damp homes and 400,000 Scots live in uninhabitable conditions.

The campaigners have demanded that MSPs from across all parties to unite in support of:

  1. A Heat in Buildings Bill which is ambitious in its vision for improving the energy efficiency and insulation of the nation’s homes and contains a clear fuel poverty duty enshrined in the legislation.
  2. The current Housing Bill that will enhance tenants’ rights and provide financial protections for tenants during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
  3. Additional Government support in future budgets and legislation to help households cope with the cost of living crisis.
  4. Reintroducing the Fuel Insecurity Fund to help at least those most at risk of harm and struggling in energy debt.
  5. The new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment being fundamentally better targeted than the Winter Fuel Payment that it replaces.
  6. A strengthened framework of support for the renewables and offshore wind sectors and the fastest possible “just transition” for the oil and gas sector, as described in the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

National organisations that supported these asks ranged from the Poverty Alliance and the Disability Poverty Campaign Group to Fathers Network Scotland, the National Pensioners Convention and Parents for Future Scotland. 

Local groups, such as Aberdeen Heat & Power, East Kilbride Housing Association, East Lothian Foodbank, Stirling District Citizens Advice and Tighean Innse Gall also backed the call.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“These figures show that while different households back different types of support to combat the cold homes crisis, everyone is united in demanding action from the new First Minister.

“Part of the long term solution to record energy prices is to improve insulation, ventilation and energy efficiency of homes to reduce our consumption of energy overall. Abandoning a Heat in Buildings Bill now would fail people struggling in cold damp homes.”

Frazer Scott, Chief Executive Officer at Energy Action Scotland, said:

“With one in three households in Scotland in fuel poverty and household energy debt rising, it is clear that the public are demanding that more needs to be done to help with the costs of essential energy.

“Almost half of people in Scotland live in an inefficient, expensive to heat and power home. People need to see action from leaders and decision makers that will improve homes, reduce costs and support people to live a decent quality of life.

“The cost of failing to help people will be measured in the misery of far too many of our households, declines in health & wellbeing and ultimately the unnecessary loss of life from living in a cold damp home.” [2]

Fi Waters, spokesperson for the Warm This Winter campaign, added:

“The First Minister has pledged to tackle child poverty and a good place to start is in the home. All children deserve a warm, dry home, in fact it should be a basic human right for all Scots, which is why policies such as the Heat in Buildings Bill needs to be a central pillar of his parliament.

“Our polling found over half of Scottish people want more government help for people struggling to pay high energy bills, half want to see more funding for solar panels and four in ten more money for insulation.

“The Scottish people have spoken and want a government that will fix the broken energy system by investing in a proper programme of home insulation and homegrown renewable energy to get them off expensive oil and gas and bring bills down permanently. Swinney should listen.”

ENDS

[1] ScotPulse interviewed 2,660 Scottish adults aged over 16 between 7-10 May 2024. Results were weighted by gender and age to Scottish adult population estimates 2021.

[2] Scottish Government published the Scottish House Condition Survey for the year 2022 on 29th February which confirmed that at least 31% of households in Scotland were in fuel poverty and that this was a likely underestimate. It estimated that 37% of households were likely to be in fuel poverty at end March 2023. The 2022 survey identifies that 48% of properties did not reach an Energy Performance Certificate rating of ‘C’, which the Scottish Government determines to be efficient.

Fuel poverty statistics reveal households hit hard by energy bills crisis

New data published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has revealed that a surge in the numbers of households spending more than 10% of their income on energy in England.

The number of households who are required to spend more than 10% of their income after housing costs on domestic energy has risen to 36.4% of households (8.9 million households) up from 27.4% in 2022 (6.7 million).

Meanwhile, the average fuel poverty gap (which measures the additional money a household would need to be lifted out of fuel poverty) has increased by 66% between 2020 and 2023 in real terms, due to rising energy prices.

E3G UK energy lead, Juliet Phillips, explained that for those already in fuel poverty, things have got significantly harder:

“It is shameful that in a country as wealthy as England, so many households cannot afford to heat their homes to a healthy and comfortable level. New statistics show that no progress has been made in reducing fuel poverty rates in the past year, and that for those struggling to pay their energy bills, things have gotten a lot worst.

“We have seen a concerning inertia from the government over the last year on action to upgrade homes. This included a U-turn on the planned increase in energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector, and a significant under-delivery of the retrofit schemes designed to alleviate fuel poverty.

“If the UK is to have any chance of meeting its statutory target to end fuel poverty by 2030, a long-term plan is needed to rebuild confidence in supply chains: backed by investment and regulations to drive action to deliver warmer homes across the country.”

The statistics also show that households in the private rented sector are at the highest risk of fuel poverty. This follows Rishi Sunak’s U-turn on the planned uplift to minimum efficiency standards in the sector last year.

Jonathan Bean, spokesperson for Fuel Poverty Action, commented:

“Fuel poverty rates are highest in private rentals so the Government’s lack of commitment to improved standards will continue to harm millions.

“In addition, electric-only homes have the highest fuel poverty rates due to the four times higher price of electricity compared to gas, due to our rigged energy market which the Government and Ofgem have failed to reform.

“It is time to admit Government and Ofgem policies have completely failed, and a more radical solution to fuel poverty is needed – Energy For All.  This would eradicate fuel poverty now, rather than allowing millions to suffer in cold damp homes for another decade.”

The statistics show that there were an estimated 13.0 per cent of households (3.17 million) in fuel poverty in England under Ministers’ preferred measure of fuel poverty, known as the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) metric in 2023. This number is effectively unchanged from 13.1 per cent in 2022 (3.18 million).

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition explained the limitations of this metric:

“Even these terrible figures don’t paint the true picture of the suffering in households across the UK.

“They exclude millions of homes in certain energy performance categories, fail to take into account soaring energy costs and also don’t include many people who actually get a Warm Home Discount to help with their bills.

“The reality is that household energy debt is at record levels, millions of people are living in cold damp homes and children are suffering in mouldy conditions.

“The wider impact of high energy bills is also clear to see with households having to cut back on spending so much that the UK has now entered a recession.”

Nearly 1 in five households in the West Midlands are classed as fuel poor. Meanwhile, in the South West, it would take an extra £634 to lift homes out of fuel poverty.

The latest National Energy Action (NEA) Fuel Poverty Monitor, developed with Energy Action Scotland and Gemserv, highlighted over 3 million UK households could be left in fuel poverty by the end of the decade, despite a legal requirement for no households in England to be living in fuel poverty by 2030.

Adam Scorer, Chief Executive of National Energy Action, added:

“At this rate, the government will miss its 2030 legal fuel poverty target by a country mile and millions will be stuck unable to afford to keep their homes and their families warm and well.”

New polling by YouGov for NEA shows that three in 10 (30%) GB adults say their household has found it difficult to afford to pay their energy bills in the past three months.

This has driven many to drastic ‘not coping strategies’ with 59% of British adults saying they had turned their thermostat down lower than they wanted, while 52% turned their heating off, even though it was cold inside the house.