Those most at risk from heat have the least access to air conditioning, UK study finds

People who are most in danger during the U.K.’s heat wave are among the least likely to have air conditioning at home, researchers have found. With temperatures potentially rising to 40° C (104° F), scientists at the University of Reading have looked at how many homes in England use air conditioning to keep cool, and which households use it most. They studied answers from 15,846 households that took part in the English Housing Survey from 2023 to 2024, as well as undertaking interviews with households already using air conditioning.

In work published by the Energy Demand Research Centre, the research team found that across England, 4.3% of homes use air conditioning, which is about 1.06 million homes. Beneath that figure, the groups most at risk from heat use it least. Homes with someone over 75 use air conditioning at 3.0%, compared with 4.6% where nobody is that age. Single-parent families have the lowest use of any household type, at 2.9%.

Dr. Rory Jones, lead author at the University of Reading, said, “The U.K. is heading toward a cooling divide, where the people who most need protection from heat are the ones least able to get it. The cooling divide gets wider because every air conditioner pumps heat into the city, increasing temperatures for those without air-conditioning. Older people face some of the greatest health risks in a heat wave, yet are among the least likely to have air conditioning. Renters are being shut out too, by cost, by landlords, and by homes they cannot adapt.

“We need a national cooling strategy. That means designing new homes that stay cool naturally, refurbishing existing homes to make them cooler, ensuring we protect vulnerable households from heat, and aligning any growth in air conditioning with the U.K.’s climate goals and energy system.”

The study found:

• Homes with a young child, a baby, or someone with a long-term illness use air conditioning more than average, as families try to protect their health.

• Among the highest-earning fifth of households, 8.2% use air conditioning, compared with 2.5% among the lowest-earning fifth.

• Homes in London and the East of England use it most, at 6.5% each, while the North East drops to 1.5%.

• Detached houses and bungalows have the highest use, at 6.2%, and homes built since 2000 use it more than older homes, at 6.6%.

• Those who work from home two or more days a week are 42% more likely to use air conditioning.

Around 1 million of England’s 25 million homes have air conditioning now. Forecasts suggest that this could reach 18 million by 2050 as summers get hotter. The researchers warn that a fast rise could push up electricity bills, strain the power network and raise carbon emissions. They say support is needed so people most at risk from heat can stay cool without facing bills they cannot pay.

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Stephanie Baum

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Robert Egan

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