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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Damian Carrington Enivronment editor

Number of UK homes overheating soars to 80% in a decade, study finds

A worker inspects an air conditioning unit outside a building
Figures show the use of air conditioning in the UK has risen sevenfold to 21% of homes between 2011 and 2022. Photograph: Tomasz Zajda/Alamy

The number of UK homes overheating in summer quadrupled to 80% over the past decade, according to a study, with experts calling the situation a crisis.

Heat already kills thousands of people each year in the UK and the toll will rise as the climate crisis intensifies. Urgent action is needed both to inform people on how to cope with high temperatures and to adapt homes, which are largely designed to keep heat in during the winter, the researchers said.

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