One in six Britons are taking drastic action such as sleeping in the kitchen, missing work, or booking hotels to cope with the heatwaves, according to Citizens Advice. The charity says millions across the UK are trapped in homes they cannot cool, with almost half (44%) feeling they lack basic control to stop their houses overheating.
Year-Round Crisis
The charity is demanding government action on a now year-round crisis of soaring heat in summer and unaffordable energy bills in winter. Actions taken by those struggling include sleeping in unconventional places like the kitchen, garden, or balcony, taking sick days or unpaid leave, or paying for hotels.
A further four million said they had to use makeshift solutions like taping tin foil, cardboard, or damp sheets to windows. The study found poorly designed homes, which act like heat traps, and the high cost of cooling equipment such as air conditioning were making people feel helpless.
Tenants Most Affected
Half (51%) of tenants, including private renters and those in social housing, felt they lack basic control to stop their homes overheating, compared with 40% of homeowners. The study also found 90,000 heat network consumers were unable to turn off their central heating even in summer.
Citizens Advice chief executive Dame Clare Moriarty said: "For far too many people, a summer heatwave doesn’t mean enjoying the sun – it means being trapped in a sweltering home with no control over the temperature. We’re now facing a year-round crisis, where poorly designed housing stock is acting as a giant heat trap in summer and as an ice box in winter."
Government Response
She added: "The Government has a vital opportunity to help fix this through the Warm Homes Plan. By investing in better insulation, ventilation, and heat network upgrades, we can ensure people’s homes are warmer in the winter and safer and cooler in the summer."
A Government spokesman said: "We are changing the rules so that for the first time ever people can access grants for air-to-air heat pumps, which can cool as well as heat homes. We are already taking action to strengthen protections for tenants experiencing dangerous overheating and ensuring new residential buildings are designed to minimise unwanted heat from the sun."
Yonder surveyed 2,105 UK adults on July 1-2.
