Citizens Advice has revealed that one in six people in the UK are resorting to drastic actions to manage the current heatwaves, including sleeping in kitchens, missing work, or staying in hotels. The charity emphasises that millions are “trapped in homes they can’t cool,” with nearly half (44%) of respondents feeling a lack of basic control to prevent their houses from overheating.
The organisation is calling on the Government to address what it describes as a “now year-round crisis,” involving soaring summer temperatures combined with unaffordable energy bills during winter months. Those struggling have taken various measures such as sleeping in unconventional areas like kitchens, gardens, or balconies, taking sick leave, unpaid leave or annual leave, or incurring expenses by booking hotels.
Additionally, four million people reported using temporary solutions like taping tin foil, cardboard, or damp sheets to windows in an effort to cool their homes. The study highlights that poorly designed homes, which act as “heat traps,” along with the high cost of cooling devices like air conditioning, leave many feeling powerless against the persistent hot weather.
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The poll also showed that half (51%) of tenants, including both private renters and social housing residents, feel they lack essential control to prevent overheating, compared to 40% of homeowners. Furthermore, 90,000 heat network consumers are unable to switch off central heating units even during summer.
Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, commented:
“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.
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.”
In response, a Government spokesperson 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.”
The findings come from a survey of 2,105 UK adults conducted by Yonder on 1-2 July.