Experts say the UK needs a co-ordinated plan to stop a rush to buy air conditioning as temperatures rise.
Overheating is already a problem in UK homes, leading to increased discomfort, illness and deaths.
In a new policy brief, researchers from the University of Exeter warn that without policymakers’ intervention, many British homes will opt for air conditioning.
Passive Priority
This will increase carbon emissions, create new challenges for our energy system and widen inequalities.
The researchers call for a “passive-first” approach to keeping people cool and offer five key recommendations to reduce risk and support behaviours:
“In temperate countries like the UK, buildings are built primarily to keep warm in winter, not to keep heat out,” says Richard Hoggett from the University of Exeter.
“Even during an average summer, around 20% of homes in England experience overheating.
“Currently the risk is higher in London and the South East, but all parts of the UK need to adapt.
ventilation
“Recent studies into the 2022 heatwave highlight that the country is currently not adequately prepared for future extreme heatwaves.”
Dr Richard Laws, from the University of Exeter and the NGO Regulatory Support Project, added: “Policymakers need a plan to keep the UK sustainably cool – helping people avoid unnecessary air conditioning use, improving the products available and creating initiatives that help manage the cooling load within the energy system.”
“Existing housing is the main challenge, so the priority must be a passive-first approach, with information and support, and improvements to building regulations and planning.”
“The UK has committed to having a National Cooling Action Plan in place by 2026 and we must act now to deliver on this and protect people from the many harmful effects of overheating in the home.”
Passive cooling options include a wide range of measures such as good insulation balanced with effective ventilation, sunshades, reflective surfaces, cool roofs, and local “green” or “blue spaces” such as parks, trees and lakes.
The five key recommendations are:
Act quickly and comprehensively: There is a “window of opportunity” to shape the future of cooling in UK homes, before overheating gets worse and a domestic cooling market becomes established. If we don’t take action, air conditioning could become the new normal, creating unnecessary emissions and making it harder to decarbonise our homes and energy systems. We need to support people to take a passive-first approach.
Pursuing synergistic effectsReframing the challenge as “thermal comfort and health” can break down existing policy silos and increase visibility across government departments. Integrating heating and cooling into existing programs that support residential decarbonization can deliver “quick wins.”
