One in six babies live in overheated homes, research reveals

Nearly 30% said it impacts their children’s mental health, potentially affecting 460,000 children, while 49% said it affects their children’s ability to concentrate.

Alongside risks to children, excess indoor heat can lead to a number of serious health issues for vulnerable adults and older people, including heart and respiratory illnesses, which can be fatal.

Heatwaves and warmer weather in general are becoming more common in England. In 2022, temperatures reached 40°C for the first time in the country’s recorded history, contributing to more than 3,000 early deaths in England and Wales. 

The Met Office reported last year that the likelihood of 40°C temperatures has tripled since 2000, and that future heatwaves could last a month or more.  

By 2050, more than nine in 10 homes are projected to overheat, with heat-related deaths potentially rising to 10,000 per year without adaptations.    

Alongside this, housing in England was built for a historically cooler climate and is not equipped to handle high temperatures. 

The NHF said the government’s Warm Homes Plan commits to tackling overheating and social landlords are already taking steps to address the issue. 

However, the body said more support is needed to enable social landlords to retrofit these measures at scale. Excess heat is now a hazard recognised under Awaab’s Law, making landlords legally obliged to address it.

Kate Henderson, chief executive of the NHF, said: “Parents naturally worry about their children during hot weather and take steps, such as keeping the curtains drawn, to keep their homes cool. 

“But it’s now clear that increasingly extreme heatwaves are making it impossible for parents, whatever they do, to make their homes completely safe and comfortable.”

She said that as heatwaves become more frequent and intense, “we need urgent action to ensure homes can be kept at safe temperatures and are fit for the future”. 

“Housing associations are taking this seriously and are already building heat resilience into their homes, but they cannot do it alone,” Ms Henderson added.

“We’re calling on ministers to work with the sector on a comprehensive plan to tackle overheating in social housing and support landlords to retrofit cooling measures at scale and pace.”

Gavin Smart, chief executive of the CIH, said the “ambition shown” in the government’s Warm Homes Plan is a “necessary first step in the right direction”.

But “we also need to think carefully about whether the 1.5 million homes we aim to build in this parliament will cope” with hotter temperatures, he added.

“CIH believes that we need to strengthen building regulations around overheating and start to consider policies that will support people with the energy costs of keeping cool during future heatwaves,” Mr Smart said. 

A government spokesperson said: “Babies and young children are more vulnerable to the effects of heat and guidance is available on how to help keep your home cool.

“New residential buildings must now be designed to minimise unwanted heat from the sun and to allow windows to be open when it is cooler outside than inside to remove excess heat. 

“We are also extending the boiler upgrade scheme grants for air-to-air heat pumps, which can cool as well as heat homes, so these low-cost options are more accessible.”