Cold, damp and mouldy housing thought to be behind 40,000 hospital admissions as UK faces fresh cost of living crisis

Cold, damp or moldy homes are causing tens of thousands of people to be hospitalized, new data has revealed, as the UK faces a new cost of living crisis.

Poor housing conditions were noted as contributing factors to serious respiratory and cardiovascular disease in nearly 40,000 NHS hospital admissions in 2024, figures show.

The data comes as Brits face rising fuel prices amid the ongoing Middle East crisis. Following US-Israeli attacks on Iran last month, oil and gas prices rose as Iran narrowed key shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz and commercial ships were attacked in the region.

As a result, energy costs in the UK look set to jump at the next price cap announcement in a fresh blow to households already affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Campaigners warn that this oil and gas crisis is particularly worrying, given the link between poor housing conditions and serious illness, especially for vulnerable households.

Respiratory and cardiovascular conditions are increasing; The UK Health Safety Agency’s first Cold Deaths Monitoring Report estimates 2,544 cold-related deaths in winter 2024-25.

Analysis by Asthma + Lung UK last month found pneumonia emergency admissions rose by 25 per cent to 579,475 cases between 2022-23 and 2024-25, with cold, damp and moldy homes identified as the leading causes. A survey by Health Equals last year found that 28 per cent of adults in the UK now report living in homes affected by damp, mold or cold; This shows that the underlying problem continues to grow.

Health Equals warned that long-term exposure to moisture, cold and mold can cause or worsen existing diseases such as asthma, lead to other respiratory symptoms such as cough and wheezing, trigger cardiovascular problems such as heart palpitations, or contribute to mental health problems such as stress, anxiety and depression.

Poor housing can, in worst-case scenarios, lead to deaths, as in the case of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 after being exposed to mold for a long time in a social housing association home.

New data obtained by home renovation specialist Purebuilt through a Freedom of Information request highlights the increasing dangers of cold, damp and mold-affected homes to people’s health.

This shows that London, the UK’s most populous city, recorded the highest number of admissions to NHS hospitals as a result of these poor housing conditions. There were 8,335 cases in the capital in 2024, with Greater Manchester ranked second. Working-age adults accounted for more than four-fifths of all applications.

Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “The link between cold, damp homes and serious illness is already clear, and this makes the current oil and gas price crisis even more worrying.

“As fossil fuel markets become unstable again, there is a real danger that more households will be forced to turn down heating or live in unhealthy conditions they cannot afford to escape. That is why it is crucial that support is ready to be implemented rather than just promised in principle.”

“The government should ensure that aid reaches households living in the coldest and wettest homes first, while also preparing broader emergency energy support in case the crisis deepens.

“This means targeted financial aid for those worst affected, faster action to improve the energy efficiency of the worst-off homes and a clear plan to stop rising global oil and gas prices turning into higher bills that could lead to more disease, misery and pressure on the NHS.

“No one should get sick because they can’t afford to keep their home warm and dry.”

It comes amid warnings that the government’s main home energy support scheme, ECO4, has been confirmed to end in December with no successor obligations, while the replacement of the £15bn Warm Homes Scheme still has key eligibility details to be finalised.

Purebuilt’s home improvement expert Michael Davie said: “The NHS is covering the cost of a problem that could have been prevented through appropriate investment in insulation, heating improvements and fair access to retrofit support.

“With ECO4 confirmed to end in December 2026 and the Warm Homes Scheme still taking shape, households urgently need clarity on what support will replace it.

“Without accessible, fully funded programs for insulation and heating improvements, health inequalities will deepen and next winter will be no different.”

Independent It approached the UK government for comment.