Millions of people across the UK are still living in cold, damp homes, with new research showing that those with existing health conditions remain far more exposed than the general population, deepening health inequalities and adding pressure to the NHS.
As energy bills remain 69% higher than in winter 2020, the latest End Fuel Poverty Coalition polling for 2025 finds that 14% of adults say they live in a cold, damp home, which remains broadly in line with 2023 and 2024 (16%). However, there are stark disparities affecting vulnerable groups.
People with health conditions are significantly more likely to say they live in cold, damp homes in 2025, with rates rising to 22% for people with lung conditions and 25% for people with mental health conditions. The figure also remains high for people with other long-term conditions such as motor neurone disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, at 24%.
Housing tenure also continues to play a major role. One in five renters in the private rented sector say they live in poor conditions.
In cold and damp homes, the presence of mould is an almost ever present issue. More broadly among the general public, the 2025 research shows that 26% of adults report mould in their homes frequently or occasionally in the last 12 months, only a slight fall from 29% in both 2023 and 2024.
People with health conditions face elevated levels (32%), with in particular people with mental health conditions (35%), being more likely to report mould.
With over two fifths (41%) of people still worried about being cold this winter due to the energy crisis, the findings have raised concerns among campaigners that without targeted action, avoidable housing-related illness will continue to burden the NHS, particularly during winter months.
Eilidh Weir is a mother of two who rents a home in Buchlyvie, Scotland. She said: “There’s nothing more miserable than being skint in a cold, damp house.
“I’m a private rental tenant and I used to have storage heaters, but I didn’t use them because they were too expensive. When I found out I was eligible for an air source heat pump to be installed, completely free, I felt really, really pleased that I was able to access that without having a high wage.
“My kids notice the house is cosier now. Being able to make better choices shouldn’t be just for those that have higher incomes.”
Charlotte Higgins is retired and lives in Solihull in the West Midlands and had energy-saving measures fitted by the Solihull Household Support Fund. She said: “The loft insulation has been done, and I’ve had solar panels on the front and the back. It’s made a difference to my heating, and my bills are a lot cheaper.”
Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:
“Five years into the energy bills crisis and households are still waiting for a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan which will set out how people can improve the energy efficiency of their properties and reduce their energy use in a safe way.
“Given the well publicised failings of the previous Government’s insulation schemes, we now need to move even faster to catch up and help people stay warm every winter and cool every summer.
“Meanwhile, for many households, the research highlights the vicious cycle where cold and damp housing worsens existing health conditions, increasing energy needs and making homes harder to heat. This in turn drives further ill health and greater pressure on healthcare services.
“The data underlines the need for long-term solutions that address housing quality and energy affordability together, rather than relying on short-term crisis support, to prevent cold and damp homes becoming a permanent driver of poor health and rising public costs.”
At Campaign Collective, we coordinate the End Fuel Poverty Coalition and other campaigns to shine a light on the real impact of the energy crisis. Our work helps to ensure that the voices of those most affected – pensioners going to bed in coats, parents forced to choose between food and heating, and households trapped in unpayable debt – are heard in the national conversation.