Millions of people across the UK ‘living in cold, damp homes’ | Politics | News
Millions of people across England live in cold, damp homes, new analysis shows. The survey for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition found 14% of respondents said they lived in a cold and damp property.
Applying the survey figures to the adult population, the study estimates this equates to 7.7 million people in Britain. The survey by Opinium also found that those with health problems were significantly more likely to report living in a cold and damp home.
And just over a quarter of people had a mold problem at home frequently or occasionally in the past year.
Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “Five years on from the energy bills crisis and households are still waiting for a comprehensive warm homes plan that will set out how people can improve the energy efficiency of their properties and safely reduce their energy use.
“Given the well-publicised failures of the previous Government’s insulation schemes, we now need to move even faster and help people stay warm every winter and cool every summer.
“Meanwhile, the research highlights the vicious cycle that, for many households, cold and damp housing worsens existing health conditions, increases energy needs and makes homes harder to heat, resulting in further deterioration and increased pressure on health services.
“The data underlines the need for long-term solutions that address housing quality and energy affordability together, rather than relying on short-term crisis support to prevent cold, damp homes from becoming a permanent driver of poor health and rising public costs.”
The proportion of people living in cold and damp homes increases to 17 percent for people with heart disease, 22 percent for lung diseases, 18 percent for people with physical disabilities, 24 percent for people with other long-term conditions such as motor neuron disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and 25 percent for people with mental health problems.
Energy bills are 69% higher than in winter 2020, according to the Coalition to End Fuel Poverty.
Eilidh Weir, a mother-of-two who rents a house in Buchlyvie, Scotland, said: “There is nothing more miserable than being undersized in a cold, damp house.
“I am a private rented tenant and used to have storage heaters but haven’t used them as they were too expensive. When I found out I was eligible to have an air source heat pump installed completely free of charge I was really pleased to be able to access this without paying a high fee.
“My children are now realizing that the house is more comfortable. Making better choices shouldn’t just be up to those with high incomes.”
The research comes as the NHS prepares for a tough winter due to a rise in “super flu” cases and a junior doctors’ strike over Christmas.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero has been contacted for comment.
Opinium conducted an online survey of 2,000 adults in the UK between 25-27 November.
