Cold, damp or mouldy homes have been driving tens of thousands of hospital admissions, new data has revealed, as the UK faces a fresh cost of living crisis.
Poor housing conditions were recorded as contributing factors to serious respiratory and cardiovascular illness in almost 40,000 NHS hospital admissions in 2024, according to the figures.
The data comes as Britons face soaring fuel prices amid the ongoing Middle East crisis. Following the US-Israeli attacks launched on Iran last month, oil and gas prices have been driven up as Iran throttles key shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, with commercial vessels coming under attack in the region.
Energy costs in the UK consequently look set to jump in the next price cap announcement, in a fresh blow for households, which have already been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Campaigners warn that this oil and gas crisis is especially concerning in light of the link between poor housing conditions and serious illness, especially for vulnerable households.
Respiratory and cardiovascular conditions are rising, with the UK Health Security Agency’s first Cold Mortality Monitoring Report estimating there were 2,544 cold-related deaths during winter 2024-25.
Analysis by Asthma + Lung UK last month found that emergency pneumonia admissions rose 25 per cent between 2022-23 and 2024-25, reaching 579,475 cases, with cold, damp and mouldy homes identified as a leading cause, while a survey by Health Equals last year found 28 per cent of UK adults now report living in homes affected by damp, mould or cold, suggesting the underlying problem continues to grow.
Health Equals warned long-term exposure to damp, cold and mould can cause or worsen existing conditions like asthma, lead to other respiratory symptoms such as coughing and wheezing, trigger cardiovascular issues like heart palpitations, or contribute to mental health conditions like stress, anxiety and depression.
Poor housing can, in the worst scenarios, cause deaths, as was the case with two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in his social housing association home.
The new data, obtained by home improvement specialist Purebuilt via a Freedom of Information request, highlights the increasing dangers of cold, damp and mould-affected homes on people’s health.
It shows that London, the UK’s most populous city, recorded the highest number of admissions to NHS hospitals as a consequence of these poor housing conditions. The capital saw 8,335 cases in 2024, with Greater Manchester following in second place. Working-age adults were found to account for more than four-fifths of all admissions.
Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “The link between cold, damp homes and serious illness is already clear, and that makes the current oil and gas price crisis even more worrying.
“As fossil fuel markets become more volatile again, there is a real danger that more households will be pushed into cutting back on heating or living in unhealthy conditions they cannot afford to escape. That is why it is so important that support is ready to go in practice, not just promised in principle.
“The government must ensure help reaches the households living in the coldest, dampest homes first, while also preparing wider emergency energy support in case this crisis deepens.
“That means targeted financial help for those hit hardest, faster action to improve the energy efficiency of the worst homes, and a clear plan to stop rising global oil and gas prices from translating into higher bills that could lead to more illness, misery and pressure on the NHS.
“No one should be made ill because they cannot afford to keep their home warm and dry.”
It comes amid warnings that the government’s main home energy support scheme, ECO4, is confirmed to end in December, with no successor obligation in place, while the £15bn Warm Homes Plan replacement still has key eligibility details to be finalised.
Michael Davie, home improvement specialist at Purebuilt, said: “The NHS is picking up the cost of a problem that could be prevented through proper investment in insulation, heating upgrades and fair access to retrofit support.
“With ECO4 now confirmed to end in December 2026, and the Warm Homes Plan still taking shape, households urgently need clarity on what support will replace it.
“Without accessible, fully funded programmes for insulation and heating upgrades, health inequalities will deepen, and next winter will be no different.”
The Independent has approached the UK government for comment.
