Tuesday briefing: Why England's homes are built to bake – and what's being done about it

The Guardian

4 days ago

Good morning. With temperatures soaring across Europe, fears of drought and people trying to steer clear of the most severe heat, there's one place millions of us will still not be comfortable: home.
The Guardian's Hot Property series shows how the poorest and most vulnerable are trapped inside dangerously hot homes. Even for today's temperatures much housing is inadequate, let alone the even more extreme heat predicted for the coming years, the reporting shows.
For readers living in London and the south-east, temperatures of 28C inside the home is likely to become normal in the coming decades.
While everyone is feeling the heat, the impacts are not spread equally. Lower-income families, social renters, those with children, and ethnic minorities are more likely to live in really hot homes. For many it's not just a question of comfort, but staying healthy, too.
Swathes of central and eastern Europe are facing another heatwave and heat warnings have been issued across England. To find out why England's homes are so stifling, who is affected and what can be done about it, I spoke to environment reporter Helena Horton. That's after the headlines.
Israel-Gaza war | Hundreds of mourners carried the body of the prominent Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif through the streets of Gaza City on Monday, a day after he and four colleagues were killed in an Israeli airstrike, prompting condemnation from across the world.
NHS | Attacks on A&E nurses have almost doubled over the last six years, with incidents often involving patients frustrated at waiting so long for care.
US news | Donald Trump has ordered the national guard to Washington DC and seized control of the city's police force, describing a 'lawless' city in ways that are sharply at odds with official crime statistics.
UK news | David Lammy is facing possible legal action over a plan to invite staff from the oil firm Shell and the defence firm BAE Systems to work inside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Agriculture | A study has found that Biochar, a charcoal made from human waste, could help solve fertiliser shortages as well as reduce pollution and energy use.
'We all know we don't do well with extreme heat in the UK – we're not really prepared for it,' says Helena Horton. 'This country hasn't historically got truly hot regularly.' With climate breakdown, temperatures already topped 40C during the summer of 2022, and such record-breaking heat is likely to be repeated.
Yet we live in homes that were not designed to withstand extreme temperatures. 'When you go on holiday to a country that is used to heat, you don't swelter in your home like you do in England because they design homes differently. We wanted to look at why that is, who is affected and what can be done,' says Helena.
Overall, one-fifth of homes in England overheat in current summer temperatures, but the research showed this is not a threat that is borne equally. Helena says she was surprised by how marked the differences were.
The analysis of housing stock, by the Resolution Foundation, found that people who owned their homes are much less likely to suffer from the risks of overheating. Two-thirds of socially renting households are at risk of their homes getting too hot, while the figure is just 17% for those that are owner-occupied.
Almost half of minority ethnic households also face the highest risk of their homes getting too hot. More than half of homes in London are at risk of overheating because they suffer more from an urban heat island effect. Small flats, small homes and overcrowded spaces are all especially vulnerable. There is no reason to believe that devolved nations are building more heat-resilient homes.
What are the impacts on health?
In this analysis of why we're so unprepared for overheating homes, the Guardian's environment editor Fiona Harvey tells readers to banish visions of sipping Yorkshire champagne on a Barcelona-style balcony and instead think of sleepless nights in stuffy homes as an indication of what future British summers will be like.
'It's about how we're going to survive our summers happily, and healthily,' says Helena. 'It's about people being comfortable in our homes. We all know how horrible it is when you can't sleep properly for a week because it's so hot in your house.'
For some people, it's about more than just comfort. When temperatures inside rise above 25C, risks to health rise. This has been linked to increased cardiovascular and respiratory issues, mental health problems and heat exhaustion.
For some, hot homes can be deadly. During the heatwaves in 2024, an estimated 358 people died at home in part due to extreme temperatures, according to figures from the UK Health Security Agency.
Deaths tend to spike because the heat exacerbates existing medical conditions. For example, overall influenza and pneumonia deaths were 13% higher than usual during the 2024 heatwaves, and circulatory disease deaths, dementia and Alzheimer's deaths were up 11%.
What can be done about it?
As part of the Guardian series, Sammy Gecsoyler wrote about the sweltering conditions inside Leaside Lock, a new-build development in east London. Residents told him of 'unbearable' heat at night, frequent headaches and fatigue. It's a story being repeated all over the country.
England has some of the oldest housing stock in Europe, but that isn't what's causing all the problems. 'Quite a lot of new builds are the ones that are getting really hot,' says Helena. 'It's both the old housing being inadequate and new housing not being built with these standards in mind.'
In terms of design, the advice is to think Mediterranean. This includes having good ventilation and airflow to cool rooms, external shutters and well-designed windows, and reflective paint on roofs or outside surfaces. Opening windows at night, once the outside air has cooled, can help to cool down a home. Air conditioning is an obvious option, and heat pumps could also be used.
Street trees are a simple and cost effective way to keep homes cool. The UK Green Building Council advocates having 30% tree canopy cover within your neighbourhood, with each resident no more than 300 metres from a biodiverse green space or park. 'It's amazing how much of a difference even things like street trees make,' says Helena.
Where is government policy on this issue?
Building rules have focused on keeping homes warm in winter and saving on energy bills, not cooling them down in summer.
Air conditioning is common in hot countries and, for many, is thought to be a lifesaver. Ministers are considering subsidising the installation of air conditioning in the UK for the first time, but that would be a controversial departure from climate policy because they're so energy intensive. Air conditioning causes 3% of greenhouse gas emissions, with demand set to triple by 2050.
New rules aimed at overhauling how new homes are built have been promised for two decades. The first attempt was set out by Labour in 2008. This autumn, the future homes standard (FHS) should finally be published, with it due to come into force from 2027. However, experts warn it still doesn't adequately deal with the new challenge of cooling homes during summer, and focuses instead on how to keep draughty homes warm in winter (although insulating homes to retain heat in winter can help keep heat out in summer).
As it stands, there are no substantial plans to retrofit the bulk of the UK's existing homes to withstand sweltering heat.
Sign up to First Edition
Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters
after newsletter promotion
If you ever feel as if Britain can't 'do' big infrastructural projects any more, Jonn Elledge has a lovely read on the unqualified success of the Elizabeth line (pictured above) – not just as a mass transit service but as a conduit for job and housing growth along its lines. As he rightly asks: 'If it worked this well, why on earth are we not building more of it?' Charlie Lindlar, acting deputy editor, newsletters
I was moved by the last words of Anas al-Sharif, one of five Al Jazeera journalists killed by an Israeli airstrike on Sunday: 'I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is.' Phoebe
As part of the Guardian's Edinburgh fringe coverage, Anya Ryan reports on a truly haunting development: ventriloquism is trendy. Charlie
Many brilliant one-liners from the 'apple-cheeked and foul-mouthed' Miriam Margolyes in this piece on the delights of performing at the fringe in your 80s. Also, good lessons on how to age. Phoebe
With plans expected this autumn to mandate eye tests for older drivers, Guardian readers spoke to Jane Clinton with their takes on the idea, ranging from 'basic common sense' to 'why just leave it at over-70s?' Charlie
Football | Crystal Palace have lost their appeal against demotion from the Europa League and will take their place in the Conference League. The court of arbitration for sport confirmed that the FA Cup winners were unsuccessful in overturning the decision made by European football's governing body to punish them for contravening its rules over multi-club ownership.
Rugby union | Rugby union is to introduce flashing LED mouthguards that light up when a player suffers a significant head impact during a match. Dr Lindsay Starling, a science and medical manager at World Rugby, said the new system would debut at the Women's Rugby World Cup, which begins next week.
Football | Jack Grealish is poised to sign for Everton on loan after agreeing to leave Manchester City in an attempt to revive his stalled career. Everton's interest in the City midfielder was reciprocated over the weekend with Grealish accepting the opportunity to join Everton in their first season at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Guardian leads with ''The truth has died': global fury as Israeli strike kills journalists'. The Mail has 'A&E waits fuel 4,000 attacks on NHS staff a year'. The Financial Times reports 'Trump opens door to Nvidia selling best AI chips to China'. The Mirror looks at a shake-up of drink-driving laws with 'None for the road'
The Times looks ahead to a meeting between the leaders of the US and Russia on Friday, with 'Trump: I will try to get Ukraine some land back'. The Telegraph claims 'Kyiv ready to give up land for peace', while the i has 'Don't trust Putin, Starmer warns Trump – as Zelensky cut out of crunch Ukraine summit'. Finally, the Sun reports on Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz renewing their vows, under the headline: 'To have & hold a grudge'.
The Trump-Putin summit
The Guardian journalist Shaun Walker and the former British ambassador to Russia Laurie Bristow talk through Friday's impending summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska and discuss where it will leave the war in Ukraine.
A bit of good news to remind you that the world's not all bad
Food writer Angela Hui offers much food for thought in a charming piece for our One change that worked series: the power of complimenting strangers.
Always envious of those who easily light up rooms, Hui set herself a challenge to be more inquisitive and deliberate in seeking out conversation by chatting to one new person a day. 'Whether it's a cashier, a barista or someone walking past me, I try to say it out loud instead of just thinking it,' Hui writes. 'The other day, in the queue at Golden Gate Bakery in London's Chinatown, I told an older Asian woman her perm looked incredible. All bounce, no frizz. We ended up bonding over which bakeries still make proper old-school Chinese pineapple buns.'
Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday
And finally, the Guardian's puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
Quick crossword
Cryptic crossword
Wordiply