A significant proportion of European homes are very difficult to keep cool in summer due to the way they are designed.
Every winter, millions of Europeans struggle to keep their homes warm in sub-zero temperatures while electricity bills skyrocket.
But there is another type of energy poverty that is increasing as the warming planet causes record temperatures to be recorded year after year across the continent. Many struggle to keep their homes cool in extreme heatand climate change will only aggravate the problem.
Europe is the fastest warming continent of the planet, with temperatures increasing approximately twice as much as the global average. Experts predict that the number of Europeans exposed to extreme heat will increase from 10 to 100 million by 2100.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends staying away from the heat and keeping the house cool in the face of high temperatures. For a significant proportion of people in Europe, the latter is not possible.
According to Eurostat data, up to 19% of European homes do not have a comfortable temperature in summerthat is, approximately one in five. Poor insulation, lack of ventilation, lack of sun protection and limited air conditioning options leave millions of people exposed to potentially dangerous heat.
Every summer it gets hotter and for longer
Lisbon-based climate NGO Zero Portugal recently put out an appeal asking households if they suffer from thermal discomfort in their homes in both winter and summer.
Of the 315 respondents, Almost 55% said they have problems throughout the year adequately heating and cooling their home.
“The lack of insulation makes the house very cold in winter and easily heated in summer,” said one of the respondents. “We were not able to renew the windows in time, which really need it because they let in the cold and insulate poorly, nor invest in some type of exterior thermal insulation.”
Another said they had bought a house with leaks and poor thermal insulation.
“Electricity and gas are becoming more expensive. In summer I have to keep the blinds closed almost all day to keep out the heat,” they add.
On the other side of the border, in Spain, the situation is not much better. The non-profit organization Ecoserveis, based in Barcelona, is part of the CoolToRise project, whose objective is reduce energy poverty rates summer in European homes.
Host workshops to help people learn how to manage electricity bills and strategies to cope with the heat in summer. The NGO has observed similar, ever-increasing problems with energy poverty throughout the year.
“I find it difficult to sleep at night because of the heat. I shower several times during the day,” explains Fátima, a participant in several of his workshops. “I have a fan, but I can’t keep it on all day because the bills would be very expensive, even though I have a social tariff (bono social).”
He has respiratory and health problems, so you need to open the window and breathe outside air. Her son also uses a fan at night, but Fatima says she has to turn it off to prevent the electricity bill from increasing.
“Every summer it gets hotter and for longer. The heat stays inside the house and I can’t get the air to flow through the house to ventilate it. “I’m from Morocco and it’s very hot there, but the houses are made so that it can be cooler inside.”
ADVERTISINGAnother participant in a workshop last year, Anush, says that there is little or no help for people to pay electricity bills that accumulate from trying to stay cool.
“I feel like there is no help. If there is help or support, I don’t know it, they don’t explain it to me. Maybe a VAT reduction on the electricity bill would be useful.”
Energy poverty in summer is much more difficult to tackle
Many of the households with which the Spanish NGO ECODES works are in trouble both in summer and winter, but summer energy poverty It is much more difficult to tackle.
“When you live in a dense urban area, with few trees and parks, the city itself accumulates heat that is released during the night, which makes it more difficult to cool the home during those hours,” explains Javier Tobías, architect and project manager at ECODES buildings.
ADVERTISING“Against the cold, at least the intensity we have here, you can wear warmer clothes, put on more blankets or avoid part of the air infiltration with weather stripping, but When your house reaches 30º C and stays there all day, there is little you can do to improve your situation..”
Tobías adds that, although this summer has been milder at least until the last few weeks, In Spain, temperatures above 40ºC have been recorded. The country has only surpassed that mark in 24 of the 74 years since 1950. Now it happens for several days each summer.
ECODES households have reported sleep problems and associated health problems, such as irritability and sweat rashes.
The risk of heat exhaustion It is especially high for older people, and although the chances of this turning into heatstroke inside the home are low, the danger is still there.
ADVERTISINGHot homes pose health risks, especially for the most vulnerable
As summers heat up, European households need to adapt to prevent the dangerous health risks associated with record temperatures.
According to the World Health Organization, Extreme heat kills more than 175,000 people a year in Europe. Heat stress is the main cause of climate-related death on the continent, as extreme temperatures aggravate chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, respiratory and cerebrovascular diseases, mental health and those related to diabetes.
The French Foundation for the Housing of Disadvantaged People (FAP) points out that one in seven French people lives in an area that will be exposed to more than 20 abnormally hot days each summer between now and 2050.
Hélène Denise, head of political advocacy for the organization, says that The consequences for people’s health can be dramatic.from blood circulation problems and aggravation of existing ailments to dehydration, stress and sleep deterioration.
ADVERTISING“In 2023, the heat overwhelmed French emergency services and was responsible for the deaths of 5,000 people, including 1,500 during periods of extreme heat waves.”
Low-income households in neighborhoods where overcrowding is common bear the brunt of this dangerous heat. Although France requires landlords to ensure that the homes they rent are kept at a minimum of 19ºC, there is no maximum limit specific temperature setting as part of these standards.
Buildings face similar problems to the rest of Europe: Poor insulation and lack of protection from the heat of the sun. Without passive cooling solutions, Denise adds, air conditioning becomes the default option, contributing to pollution and driving up energy bills even further.
“The adaptation of cities and homes is still not at the forefront of our renovation policies and the fight against energy poverty. Despite some timid progress, our policies continue to focus primarily on reducing energy consumption, decarbonizing our heating systems and maintain a minimum temperature in the home.”
ADVERTISINGAre there solutions to summer energy poverty in Europe?
The Build Better Lives movement, a group of 90 social justice, health and environmental NGOs, calls for effective and affordable solutions to help people keep their homes comfortable and reduce their energy bills.
“Energy poverty is becoming a problem that affects many people throughout the year. Our homes and cities must adapt to withstand both freezing and scorching temperatures,” says Mónica Vidal, co-founder of the movement and head of the Climate Action Network’s energy campaign.
According to her, we have to rethink the way we design our buildings and cities, adapting them to reduce energy bills for both heating and cooling. Vidal adds that there are already solutions to prepare European homes for winter and summer temperatures.
For example, improve insulationshading the windows with awnings and use brighter colors on facades or roofs that help keep buildings cool. Cities can be greener, adding trees and parks to prevent them from becoming urban heat islands of concrete and steel.
ADVERTISINGAll of these passive cooling methods reduce the need for air conditioning. With global demand for mechanical cooling expected to triple by 2050, improving building design and urban planning will help avoid emissions.
Better warning systems are also needed to keep people safe from the heat. Athens, one of the cities that, according to forecasts, will suffer more heat waves and droughts by mid-centuryis a good example. In 2021, the city appointed a Head of Heat Protection. One of the main recommendations of that appointment was to name and category heat waves, which would allow citizens to better identify and respond to them.
However, these solutions must be accompanied by strong policies and social safeguards to ensure that no one is left behind. Despite EU funds available through programs such as the fondo NextGeneration, Little has been done to carry out the renovation of the homes.
“Governments must prioritize the most vulnerable households, whether they are low-income families, older people or rented housing tenants, to ensure that we build a better life for everyone,” concludes Vidal.
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