Tag: Extreme Weather

Record May heat reveals homes that cannot afford to keep cool

As parts of the UK enjoyed a bank holiday Monday, temperatures in England broke meteorological records.

The UK has recorded its all-time hottest May temperature, with Heathrow hitting 33.5C on the Bank Holiday, breaking the previous record by several degrees rather than the usual fraction. Parts of the South and South East are forecast to reach 34C or 35C, just days after lows of minus 5C in Scotland and daytime temperatures of around 14C to 15C across much of the country.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said

“A Bank Holiday heatwave may sound like welcome news, but for millions of households, extreme heat is not just uncomfortable, it can be a serious health risk.

“For older people and those with pre-existing health conditions and living in low-energy-efficiency housing, extreme hot weather can be as dangerous as a cold snap in winter.

“There are around 4.5 million adults who have been made unwell by overheating in their homes and they are not people who can simply open a window or switch on the air conditioning.

“Typically these households will also be on low incomes, in poorly ventilated homes, often repaying energy debts or on prepayment meters, with no affordable way to keep cool.

“The Climate Change Committee recently warned that 92% of existing homes could overheat in more extreme heat events, and that the poorest neighbourhoods are seven times more likely to be vulnerable.

“We need coordinated action to upgrade homes for all seasons, not just winter. That means proper insulation, ventilation and passive cooling upgrades, alongside electricity pricing reform to bring down the cost of running fans and other equipment.

“With energy bills set to rise again in July, households cannot be left to face more extreme summer conditions without support.”

Worsening climate extremes will place new demands on households

The Climate Change Committee has warned that worsening heatwaves, flooding and drought are threatening public health, the NHS and basic living standards across the UK.

Its new report finds that without action, climate impacts could cost the UK up to £260 billion a year by 2050, while the adaptation measures it recommends would cost around £11 billion a year.

The report warns that maximum temperatures could regularly surpass 40 degrees Celsius in many areas of the UK by 2050, with the hottest heatwaves potentially exceeding 45 degrees.

Met Office data showed that 2025 was the hottest summer on record and the new report found that 92% of existing homes could overheat in more extreme heat events, creating dangerous conditions for the most vulnerable people.

The analysis also finds that the poorest neighbourhoods in the UK are seven times more likely to be vulnerable to overheating, and over ten times more likely to be at risk of flooding.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition commented:

“Fuel poverty is not just a winter problem. Households that are unable to afford to cool their home to an adequate temperature are just as much in fuel poverty as those who cannot afford to heat it. As summers grow hotter, that dimension of the crisis will become harder to ignore.

“The households least equipped to cope with extreme heat are the same households already struggling with high energy bills: people living in poorly insulated homes, people with long-term health conditions, disabled people, low-income families and older people.

“The Climate Change Committee is right that investment in adaptation is urgently needed. But the most cost-effective intervention remains the same one that addresses fuel poverty in winter and that is improving the energy efficiency of our homes.

“A properly resourced Warm Homes Plan, with a Warm Homes Guarantee [pdf] at its heart, would reduce the need for expensive cooling in summer just as it reduces heating costs in winter.”

Wet weather, rising bills and cold homes are putting lung health at risk

New warnings from Asthma + Lung UK show how wet weather and the threat of higher energy bills are combining to put people with lung conditions at greater risk.

The charity says damp and mould can trigger asthma attacks, chest infections and hospital admissions, while 17% of people with lung conditions say they struggle to keep their home adequately warm.

That warning comes as evidence continues to mount about the health impact of poor housing. Separate figures reported in the Independent suggest that in 2024 there were just under 40,000 NHS hospital admissions where cold homes, damp, mould or poor housing conditions were recorded as contributing factors to serious respiratory and cardiovascular illness.

But there is also clear evidence that home upgrades can improve health. A recent case study in York highlighted how energy efficiency improvements helped an older resident end years of breathing difficulties and financial stress, stay warmer and feel better at home.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said:

“For people with asthma, COPD and other lung conditions, a cold, damp home can be dangerous to their health.

“After one of the wettest winters on record, many households are already dealing with damp and mould. Now the oil and gas price crisis is raising the threat of higher bills, which could leave even more people cutting back on heating or unable to keep their homes dry and safe.

“Ministers need to act on two fronts at once. They must get the Warm Homes Plan moving for the coldest and dampest homes, and make sure emergency bill support is ready if this fossil fuel price crisis deepens. This includes targeting any financial support available at those who have long-term lung problems as one of the priority groups.

“No one should be made ill because they cannot afford to heat their home.”

Dr Andy Whittamore, a GP and clinical lead at Asthma + Lung UK, said:

“Even before events in the Middle East raised the spectre of higher energy bills, we were already concerned about the wet weather increasing damp and mould and affecting people’s health.

“For the seven million people in the UK living with asthma and the three million people living with COPD being exposed to a trigger like mould can bring on a potentially fatal asthma attack, or cause a COPD flare-up requiring hospitalisation.”