Living in a cold home has a significant impact on physical and mental health. It makes existing health problems worse and causes a substantial burden on the health service.

Many deaths and illnesses linked to living in a cold home are preventable.

For over 45 years, the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) has been working to improving people’s health and the condition of their homes through our energy advice and partnerships with the health sector.

We improve lives and reduce the burden on the NHS, preventing bed blocking in hospitals by ensuring patients are able to return to warm and safe homes.

How do cold homes affect health?

Cold temperatures, along with common problems like damp, condensation and mould, can make existing medical conditions worse.

Meanwhile, cold homes can cause and worsen respiratory conditions, cardiovascular diseases, poor mental health, dementia and hypothermia. They also cause and slow recovery from injury according to Public Health England. At temperatures below 12°C, blood thickens, leading to an increase in blood pressure and greater risk of heart attacks or stroke.

Cold conditions contribute to condensation, damp and mould. This has a detrimental effect on health conditions like asthma or eczema. Damp can also cause deterioration of the building, making it harder and more expensive to repair.

Illnesses linked to cold, damp and dangerous homes cost the NHS more than £2.5bn a year (Institute of Health Equality). This equates to £6.9m a day (up from £3.6m a day in 2016, Kingston).

7,409 winter deaths are caused by cold homes in the UK, based on a 10 year average. Excess winter deaths stood at 4,950 people for 2022-23, attributable to living in cold conditions.

School children’s attainment levels are negatively impacted. And the Institute for Public Policy Research found fuel poverty can also lead to people taking days off work. Meanwhile the stress of worrying about paying bills, or isolation because the house is so cold no one can visit, affect everyone in the household. Read more about the health impact of cold or damp homes here.

Working with health care providers to end cold homes

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends a strategic approach to integrate healthcare with local services dealing with fuel poverty and debt, energy efficiency, insulation and heating provision.

For many years we’ve been working with health care providers and alongside other health related partners.

CSE caseworkers are based within local hospitals and have good links with the wider health sector.

Watch this video showing caseworkers in one of our projects in Wiltshire. Hospital staff sometimes know that patients are being bounced around, but don’t know what to do. With our support they can help patients access long term solutions to cold homes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5D9wEAY2w0

Our work to end the suffering of cold homes

We work with partners to help address connected issues for people to keep warm affordably.

• We offer advice on energy saving home improvements like insulation and how to access funding grants.
• We support people with getting the best service from energy suppliers or reducing fuel debt.
• We help maximise income checking if people access all the benefits they are entitled to
• We help people dealing with damp and mould.
• We assist with water saving or water debt.
• We help people to understand their central heating controls and using energy efficiently in the home.

After CSE’s intervention people have fewer medical appointments, generally feel better and take less medication.

They also report that they experience reduced stress from financial concerns. And because their house is cosier, warmer and drier, they are less worried about their children’s health, and are more inclined to invite people around, reducing social isolation.

Our projects include:

• Our flagship projects Warmer Homes Advice and Money (WHAM) and Warm & Safe Wiltshire have specialist caseworkers based within hospitals directly picking up referrals.
• We work alongside many medical practices in Somerset offering support to patents through advice stands in waiting areas and other community settings.
• We’ve run projects working with GP practices in Dorset to reach their most vulnerable patients – specifically targeting those with affected conditions for example respiratory conditions.
• We’ve run projects providing advice to patients of the Wellington Medical Practice in Somerset. CSE mapped the most energy inefficient homes in Wellington and the practice matched these addresses with their patients with health conditions exacerbated by living in cold homes. We then offered home visits to these specific patients.

Warmth on Prescription

Responding to the critical health challenges posed by cold homes, CSE was funded by the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance with National Energy Action (NEA) to pilot a Warmth on Prescription project in Wiltshire and Swindon. This innovative project supports patients with health conditions or disabilities exacerbated by living in cold, damp, or hard-to-heat homes.

By deepening connections with the health and social care sector, we help professionals recognise signs of fuel poverty and refer patients to CSE for comprehensive support. Our Warmth on Prescription approach provides tailored energy advice, helps install necessary home improvements, and supports income enhancement—ultimately improving patient health and reducing pressure on local NHS services.

Fuel poverty is when people have to spend a high proportion of their income on keeping their home warm. This is due to a combination of poor housing with inadequate insulation and heating, expensive energy tariffs, and low incomes, meaning people can’t afford to keep warm.