Half of children in England live in homes at risk of overheating

As the UK experiences that hot temperature families are feeling rapidly impact across the country, with their homes now not an sanctuary but an unbearable place that is desperate to escape many.

Kisha says that her top-floor flat can reach 43C in summer, and the baseline temperature is about 31C.

36-year-old, one of many parents, who says, “Living under these circumstances should be illegal, saying that living in” unbearable “hot flats is making their children sick.

Around 5.5 million children – more than half of the England – according to the new analysis of the English Housing Survey 2022 by the Sankalp Foundation Think Tank, are living in homes at risk of overheating. More than one million of them are living in London, mostly in social housing.

Kisha lives in her new flat in Woolwich, South-East for eight years.

Her nine -year -old daughter struggles in the summer, “unable to regulate her temperature”.

“She does not feel well, her stomach often hurts.”

“The second night it was out 20 degrees and she was crying at 3 o’clock. I take endless liter water in her room to calm her.”

Kisha often walks on the streets at night or drives around in an air -conditioned car to avoid heat. She says that air-conditioning for her flat is ineffective, and she was quoted £ 8,000 per bedroom to install it.

Kisha’s Housing Association states that when the block was constructed, “It met all the plan and construction rules at the time, however, with most properties in the UK, now the extreme temperatures we are seeing, these buildings were not designed or built in a way that will keep them calm”.

According to Alastair Smith, director of Policy and Research at the National Housing Federation, some housing associations are “extremely minded” of the risk of overheating in homes and are developing strategic climate adaptation plans to address the risks generated by Hot Summers.

“We are committed to working with the government on the issue and we will support a national overheating strategy with appropriate funding solutions, so that both new and existing houses can be adapted to face future climate change,” he explained to BBC London.

Sankalp Foundation, an independent think-tank, which focuses on improving the standard of living of at least moderate income, urge the government to ensure that the cost of removing hot houses is cheaper.

Principal economist Jonathan Marshal says, “Many people do not have the means of investing their properties to coolers.”

Buildings in the UK are designed to maintain heat in a temperate climate, with energy efficiency rules for new housing now require better insulation to reduce the need for heating in winter.

“An attempt [is needed] On making greenery the houses – insulating the houses, but to do so in a way to do it that does not heat them in summer, “Sri Marshal is called.

The analysis of the foundation of 2022 English Housing Survey data shows that more than half of children in England are at risk of overheating in homes.

“This is not just an issue that is going to be in the day of 35 degrees in mid -July. If it reaches the initial spring or late autumn to the high 20s, the houses can also be hot.”

Mother-two living in Isington, North London, says that she recorded 43 C heat in her living room this summer, but thinks that bedrooms also reach higher temperatures. She says that she spends more on electricity in summer, to provide electricity to fans in her two bedroom flat, she does in winter.

“” It makes children sick – they have no hunger. It affects our sleep. ,

The block is surrounded by scaffolding as the Remediation Work Clading works. Sara says that this is a problem for opening the windows because she had scaffolding and climbing intruders out every day.

“Summer is going to be long and hot. Families cannot live in the way we are living. The quantity of fans found 24/7 – it helps but this is not a solution.”

His 18 -year -old daughter Maddy says that she has taken a toll on her social life, as people do not want to go into the flat.

“You can feel quite nice. I have a headache with dehydration.

“I come out of the bedroom in the morning and I say, ‘Mummy, feel my clothes’ – this is as if they have come out of a washing line.”

Six, his brother says that the heat has made him physically ill.

Out of the estimated 5.5 million children living in at -risk houses of overheating are in London.

“The issue of space is more intense in cities, especially in London, where the houses are small,” Sri Marshal says. “Small homes are more likely to get overheated.”

He says that single-type house, with only windows in front of a room, are heated in part due to lack of airflow.

Dr. Amaran Uthyyakumar-Kuumarsamy is an NHS pediatrician and a member of the Health Justice Campaign Charity Madect.

He says that a child has been heated, it may include confusion, changed mental state, irritability, a raised core body temperature and nausea.

“Given the climate crisis and excessive heat, the year -system is deteriorating, there is no more necessary time to take action on our unprotected and unhealthy housing stock in the UK.”

The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health urged the national and local governments to work with the housing sector “With the stress of heat, with the stress of the heat, the cold and moist in our current and future housing stocks, which affect the health of all children.”

“Young children are more vulnerable to heat related diseases” says its officer Helena Clements for climate change.

“As the temperature rises throughout the UK, heat will become an important idea for children patients.

“To increase awareness about risks from heat and to give more attention to adverse effects in early life and during pregnancy, families must be encouraged to encourage families Follow government advice On keeping children cool. ,

2022 Summer Heatwave was one of the most intense recorded in Britain and 4,500 deaths related to heat occurredAccording to the office for national statistics.

Up to 10,000 people in Britain Can die every year by 2050 If no action is taken to adapt to our warming climate from diseases related to heat – however Cold weather can also cause additional deaths,

Andy Love, the founding director of Shed the UK, says the country is facing a “architectural crisis”.

The Community Interest Company has participated with the London School of Economics. Overheating user friendly metricSimilar to energy performance certificates, which rate the energy efficiency of a property, so that tenants and buyers understand the risk of heat to the buildings before deciding what to do.

Mr. Luv says that many houses in the UK are designed for temperate climate, and also include blocks with “roof-height glazing, single-soaked houses”, including “not working properly during hot weather”.

In the short term, Mr. Love recommends applying a wet towel through the window to act directly as a sunlight as a blocker and the windows are left open when the evening cools down to bring it into the air for the morning.

A government spokesperson said: “We are investing £ 13.2BN to improve five million houses in this Parliament, promoting the energy efficiency of housing to deal with high temperatures.

“We are also taking action to strengthen climate flexibility in the government and local communities, improving our infrastructure and ensuring that the houses are fit for the future.”

The government has planned to establish its approach for overheating and cooling in the Warm Homes Plan, which will be published in October, and Standard of future houses.