AFFORDABLE WARMTH AND HEALTH

Fuel poverty affects health in many ways and it is estimated that housing-related health problems cost the NHS up to £1billion per year.

A householder struggling to pay fuel bills may turn down the heating to reduce costs. Yet those living in cold, damp homes are more prone to conditions such as heart problems, strokes, lung disorders (including asthma) and trips and falls. Uninsulated, cold homes are also prone to mould and damp, which may lead to increased allergies, lung and respiratory problems or even toxic reactions. 

During the winter of 2004/5 there were 31,600 excess winter deaths in the UK, some of which were due to poor housing conditions.  There are many more excess winter deaths in the UK than in colder countries such as Norway, Sweden and Canada. In these countries death rates are only 10% higher during the winter than in the summer, in the UK this figure is more like 30%.

Developing an Affordable Warmth Action Plan will work towards many objectives contained in health, social care and well-being strategies and plans across Wales including:

• Reducing delayed transfers of care:  if a patient's home is cold and damp, discharge from hospital to a home caring arrangement may be delayed whilst work is carried out to ensure conditions in the patient's home are conducive to a good recovery.
• Supporting independent living:  older persons may be able to stay in their own home for longer if it is warm and dry and not detrimental to health and well-being.
• Reducing unneccessary or repeat hospital admissions: a patient's conditions can be managed or improved by ensuring that their home is warm and dry, leading to an improvement in health and fewer hospital admissions.