A Nation Unprepared: Extreme heat and the need for adaptation in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has experienced record-breaking temperatures, with 2022, 2023 and 2024 the three hottest years on record. 40°C was recorded in the UK for the first time in July 2022 across the country and projections indicate that such extremes could occur every three years by the end of the century. Despite this growing threat, there is limited data on how households cope with extreme heat. This research engaged with more than 1580 households across the UK through an online survey to explore household overheating challenges, coping strategies, and their awareness of low carbon cooling technologies. Results show that the prevalence of indoor overheating reported in UK dwellings has increased from 20% (2011) to 82% (2022). While behavioural adaptations are still dominant, the use of air conditioners (ACs) has increased from 3% in 2011 to 20% during the last decade. If summer warming trends continue, our survey suggests, AC adoption is likely to increase, placing both a significant burden on electricity grid peak demand, and leading to economic inequalities, particularly among lower socioeconomic groups. It was also concluded that overheating experience is not solely reliant on building design and it can be influenced by range of factors including geography, dwelling type and household characteristics. Heat adaptation will require urgent policy interventions to promote passive cooling strategies, enhance public awareness of heat risks and improve public communication strategies to reduce heat related health impacts, such as excess mortality. As extreme heat becomes a global concern, the insights from this study can inform adaptation strategies in other temperate countries facing similar overheating challenges.