Millions of people across the UK are living in cold, damp homes, new analysis suggests. Polling for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition found 14% said they live in a property that is cold and damp.
The research, which applied the polling figure across the adult population, estimates that this equates to 7.7million people in Britain. The polling by Opinium also found that those with health conditions are significantly more likely to report living in a cold, damp house.
And just over a quarter of people have had mould at home frequently or occasionally in the last year.
Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “Five years into the energy bills crisis and households are still waiting for a comprehensive warm homes plan which will set out how people can improve the energy efficiency of their properties and reduce their energy use in a safe way.
“Given the well-publicised failings of the previous Government’s insulation schemes, we now need to move even faster to catch up and help people stay warm every winter and cool every summer.
“Meanwhile, for many households, the research highlights the vicious cycle where cold and damp housing worsens existing health conditions, increasing energy needs and making homes harder to heat. This, in turn, drives further ill-health and greater pressure on healthcare 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 and damp homes becoming a permanent driver of poor health and rising public costs.”
The figure for people living in cold, damp homes rises to 17% for those with heart conditions, 22% with lung conditions, 18% with a physical disability, 24% with other long-term conditions such as motor neurone disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and 25% for people with mental health conditions.
It comes as energy bills are 69% higher than winter 2020, according to the End Fuel Poverty Coalition.
Mother-of-two Eilidh Weir, who rents a home in Buchlyvie, Scotland, said: “There’s nothing more miserable than being skint in a cold, damp house.
“I’m a private rental tenant and I used to have storage heaters, but I didn’t use them because they were too expensive. When I found out I was eligible for an air source heat pump to be installed, completely free, I felt really, really pleased that I was able to access that without having a high wage.
“My kids notice the house is cosier now. Being able to make better choices shouldn’t be just for those that have higher incomes.”
The research comes as the NHS is bracing for a difficult winter amid a surge in “super flu” cases and a junior doctors’ strike over Christmas.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has been contacted for comment.
Opinium conducted an online survey of 2,000 UK adults from November 25-27.
