British homes struggle to keep cool as heat waves outpace outdated building designs
As heat waves grow longer and more intense in the UK, millions of homes built to trap heat are becoming unlivable in summer, with retrofitting costs and building codes posing major barriers to adaptation.
Lynsey Chutel reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- Most British homes were designed to retain heat in winter and now overheat in summer, but few have air conditioning, which remains costly, energy intensive, and rare.
- Retrofitting efforts like adding shade, ventilation, and insulation can help, but often require invasive construction, cost tens of thousands of pounds, and face restrictions on historic buildings.
- Newer apartments also struggle with poor airflow and heat retention due to design flaws and lax building codes that only recently began addressing overheating risks.
Key quote:
“We designed to the minimum standard pretty much universally. We don’t design to good practice.”
— Simon Wyatt, environmental specialist at Cundall, an engineering consultancy
Why this matters:
The UK’s housing stock faces a growing mismatch with the climate it now inhabits. Most homes were built for damp, cold winters—not for summers that now regularly exceed 90 degrees. Without effective cooling strategies, the risks of heat-related illness and death rise, especially among older adults, low-income families, and those in poorly ventilated or upper-story apartments. Air conditioning is a limited option due to high costs and carbon emissions. Instead, the focus is shifting to passive cooling — like better insulation, ventilation, and shading. But widespread retrofitting is slow and expensive, with older buildings often protected from modifications and newer ones poorly suited for adaptation. As summers continue to warm, the country faces a public health and climate challenge baked into its bricks and mortar.
Learn more: Many struggle with extreme heat in homes without air conditioning
