Around three-quarters of a million people in Wales (30%) are living in cold damp homes; exposed to the health complications that come from living in fuel poverty.
Wales: an acute problem with cold, damp homes
The latest data from the Warm This Winter campaign reveals that the 30% of people in cold, damp homes in Wales is double that of the UK average – which is 16% of adults or 8.3 million people in total.
As well as the most vulnerable being more affected – such as those aged over 75, under six, or with a pre-existing health condition or disability – there are stark differences based on the type of energy bill households have.
Across the whole of the UK, a third of smart meter customers who have a prepayment meter (PPM) setting (32%) say they live in a cold damp home with 27% of those on traditional PPMs saying the same. Almost a quarter (22%) of standard credit customers are in cold damp homes, yet just 11% of direct debit customers live in such conditions.
The NHS warns that people with damp and mould in their homes are more likely to have respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies, or asthma. Damp and mould can also affect the immune system while living in such conditions can also increase the risk of heart disease, heart attacks or strokes.
Cold homes can cause and worsen respiratory conditions, cardiovascular diseases, poor mental health, dementia and hypothermia as well as cause and slow recovery from injury.
Get involved: sign a petition or join a campaign
Petitions with over 800,000 signatures have been handed into the prime minister calling for more action to bring down bills now and end energy debt to help end the cold damp homes crisis now facing the country – especially Wales. These include:
- Over 88,000 signatures here asking for support on energy bills this Winter.
- Debt Justice – Over 17,000 signatures demanding the government urgently act by bringing down bills and help families get out of debt. You can sign that here.
- Fuel Poverty Action – over 660,000 signatures demanding #EnergyForAll – Everyone has a right to the energy needed for heating, cooking, and light. That petition is here.
- Warm This Winter – Over 41,000 signatures here demanding the Treasury introduce an Emergency Energy Tariff to keep people warm this winter.
You can also get involved with campaign group Fuel Poverty Action. It has recently run a series of Warm Up protests across the UK – highlighting the appalling conditions people are living in, due to the government and energy companies’ unwillingness to control energy costs.
Fiona Waters, spokesperson for the Warm This Winter campaign, commented:
It is no wonder that the public are now signing petitions in droves and pointing the finger of blame for the crisis on Ministers who have failed to act to protect the public from this crisis.
Instead of help in the form of an Emergency Energy Tariff for vulnerable households and a Help To Repay scheme for those in energy debt, the public will instead be faced with increasing energy bills on 1 January 2024.
Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:
The UK Government needs to get a grip on the cold damp homes crisis now facing the country, with people spending the festive period in Dickensian conditions and unable to stay warm this winter.
Without immediate action, the cost of this crisis will be felt by increased demand on the already overstretched NHS.
Ultimately, a failure to protect people from living in cold damp homes will cost lives.
Cold, damp homes: a risk to people’s health
Dr Isobel Braithwaite said:
This data shows a shockingly high prevalence of cold and damp homes in the UK, which poses a grave risk to the public’s health. These conditions are severely harming the health of the most vulnerable in society: from young children; people with heart and lung conditions; to older people, and this situation is unconscionable in 2023.
These impacts are being driven by political choices, and action is urgently needed to address the causes of this health crisis, both to protect vulnerable households with the campaign’s proposed emergency measures, as well as longer-term action with home retrofit schemes.
Kay Ballard from Debt Justice who was part of the petition hand in said:
Lack of government support and energy company profiteering means that this Christmas I have a choice between going into debt or living in a cold damp home. It is an impossible choice and only government action can solve the crisis.
Stuart Bretherton from Fuel Poverty Action said:
Over 660,000 people have endorsed our demand to ensure everyone’s essential energy needs are met, it’s not radical. There’s more than enough money in energy firm profits and subsidies to guarantee an adequate level of Energy For All to keep everyone warm and safe.
Featured image via KYNASTUDIO – Envato Elements
