HOT HOUSE SYNDROME is now making life a living hell for vulnerable people, leaving nearly one in 10 Brits getting ill from soaring temperatures in their own homes, research shows.

The government was today urged to provide targeted support for those in poorly insulated homes as a 34°C heatwave saw Britain declare its hottest day of the year.

Figures from the Warm This Winter campaign showed that 4.5 million people have been made unwell from high temperatures at home — dubbed Hot House Syndrome — in the past 12 months.

Spokeswoman Fiona Waters said: “Hot House Syndrome is a real problem caused by the UK’s appalling housing stock and affects the poorest and the vulnerable the most.

“The same people who suffer from damp, mouldy homes in winter are stifled in summer when the sun comes out.”

“That’s because the solutions to keep us warm in the colder weather are the same as keeping us cool in summer.

“Better insulation, ventilation and even heat pumps that can operate in a cooling mode can all help. But the public need financial support to upgrade their homes.”

The campaign group’s research found that the proportion of Hot House Syndrome sufferers nearly doubled to 15 per cent for those with pre-existing health conditions or disabilities. 

Public Health Doctor and housing researcher Dr Isobel Braithwaite said summer can often be as dangerous as winter for vulnerable people.

Co-founder of Disabled People Against Cuts Linda Burnip warned that hot homes’ “very detrimental impact” on the health of disabled and older people can result in additional health problems in some cases.

People aged 18-34, from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and renting from private landlords were also more likely to experience heat-related ill-health.

Four in 10 households could not afford to insulate their homes without government support, the Opinium polling found.

One in three of those who suffer from excess summer heat have problems with sleep and 17 per cent said they had struggled with the cost of keeping their homes at a reasonable temperature.

The London Renters Union said: “The problem is that the money renters pay is not being invested in improving our living conditions and is instead lining the pockets of private landlords.

“The government needs to raise safety standards and ensure they are properly enforced so that private landlords cannot get away with profiting off of unsafe homes any longer.”

Acorn UK head organiser Nick Ballard called for government investment in new council housing and retrofitting of existing homes.

“Not only would this ensure safe, healthy, and affordable housing for everyone, but it would also provide a massive boost to the economy, creating thousands of good jobs for workers,” he said.

“In the world’s sixth-largest economy, no-one should be left freezing in their homes during winter or suffering in the heat of the British summer.”

Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “The new government needs to act quickly after the election to improve housing standards and roll out a turbocharged programme to install more insulation and ventilation measures, especially among lower quality housing stock.”

Matthew Scott from the Chartered Institute of Housing said: “As our world warms, this research adds to the growing body of evidence that energy efficiency and retrofit is crucial for making sure people can stay cool and healthy at home, as well as warm.”  

Jonathan Bean from Fuel Poverty Action called for a “healthy home standard” for all rentals, retrofits and new builds with decent standards of glazing, shading, insulation, ventilation and cooling to keep us safe during hot weather.

UK Programmes for climate solutions charity Ashden director Donal Brown said: “Keeping homes cool and warm is mainly about insulation, insulation, insulation — of floors, walls and roofs. Then add ventilation and in some circumstances mechanical cooling using renewable energy.

“What’s essential in a rapidly warming world is that these techniques are adopted quickly by planners, regulators and the construction industry and we prioritise support for those least able to pay for them and those most vulnerable to overheating.”

Dr Maya Singer Hobbs, of the Institute for Public Policy Research, called for a country-wide effort to retrofit houses with better insulation and ventilation.

“The UK has some of the worst housing stock in Europe — too cold in the winter, too hot in the summer, energy inefficient, poorly insulated, and making a snail’s pace towards transitioning to heat pumps,” she said.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities was contacted for comment.