Environment
Overheating homes need a new cooling strategy
Philip Ord, UK CEO, Qvantum
WITH the UK experiencing heatwave after heatwave, the summer of 2026 has already been the hottest on record. By mid-
Philip Ord
July, the Met Office confirmed that the UK had already recorded more days above 30 ° C than during the whole of the summer of 1976 and, as temperatures are projected to reach as high as 45 ° C in the coming decades, overheating is now one of the biggest challenges facing property developers and housing associations.
British homes aren’ t designed for prolonged heat, particularly since the government introduced stricter energy-efficiency standards( such as Part L), which mean modern homes are built to be highly insulated and increasingly airtight. While this helps to cut carbon emissions and give residents more comfort in the cold winter months, the unintended consequence is that homes are also becoming better at retaining unwanted heat.
As the climate changes, keeping homes cool is becoming just as important as keeping them warm. The National Housing Federation predicts that around 90 % of homes could be at risk of overheating by 2050, while the Climate Change Committee has warned that future housing strategies will increasingly need to combine passive cooling measures with active cooling solutions to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures.
This shift is already being reflected in regulation. Part O of the Building Regulations requires developers to demonstrate that homes can limit unwanted solar gains and remove excess heat to reduce the risk of overheating. Buildings in dense urban environments, categorised as‘ high risk’, face particularly stringent requirements, due to the impact of the urban heat island effect. The Mayor of London’ s recent Heat Ready London report reflects a real urgency for combatting overheating in cities, where the problem is more acute.
Existing homes face an equally significant challenge as new builds. The vast majority of the homes that will exist in 2050 have already been built, so retrofit programmes need to balance energy efficiency with thermal comfort to adapt to a changing climate. Housing Associations are under pressure to respond, particularly with Awaab’ s Law expanding to cover excess cold and heat in November 2026, with strict timeframes for investigating and fixing any property defects causing these issues.
74 Issue 28