Overheating in homes: What policy changes does CIH want to see?

CIH has a longstanding programme of policy and research work on overheating in homes. Most of this work has been carried out in collaboration with academic experts, sector partners, and our members.

This page brings together our advocacy priorities and highlights our work influencing policy across the UK, and provides links to our publications. 

Our five policy priorities for tackling overheating in homes

1. Accelerate the integration of cooling measures into the government’s low-income retrofit schemes
   The Warm Homes Plan made a welcome and necessary commitment to integrating passive cooling measures into the government’s longstanding low-income retrofit schemes. CIH strongly supports this commitment, which must proceed quickly to ensure those least able to afford the upfront cost of cooling measures can access them.
   While passive cooling measures and the cooling hierarchy should be prioritised in the government’s schemes, provision also needs to be included for active cooling measures where they are required, especially air conditioning and air-to-air heat pumps.
2. Strengthen Part O of the Building Regulations and apply it to retrofits and conversions
   Our research with the University of East London has shown that Part O of the Building Regulations is inadequate for preventing new homes from overheating. Part O should immediately be strengthened. 
   In addition, the current Part O does not apply to homes created through material change of use processes, like common office-to-flat conversions undertaken via Permitted Development Rights, or when homes are retrofitted. This creates unnecessary and harmful overheating risks. Part O should be extended to cover retrofit work and all types of conversion classified as residential development in Regulation 5 of the Building Regulations 2010.
3. Improve the way heat risk is communicated to households and landlords
   Our research with the University of East London has shown that the current national alert systems for extreme heatwaves, heat health alerts and extreme heat warnings, needs to be improved. 
   Working in partnership with the Met Office and local leaders across Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs), the government needs to move beyond a warning-based approach towards a more community centred approach to heat risk communication, adaptation, and the prevention of heat-related ill-health.
4. Provide financial support to low-income households to support them to run air conditioning units in heatwaves
   Air conditioning will be required to ensure that some homes, especially those occupied by people at most risk from heat-related ill-health, can remain cool and healthy in extreme heat. 
   However, the running costs of air conditioning units are already very difficult for some low-income households to afford. The government already provides financial support for low-income households to afford heating costs during winter. It should therefore explore how to provide additional financial support to help low-income households afford the electricity costs of air conditioning in very hot weather. 
   This could take the form of a Hot Weather Payment, mirroring the current Cold Weather Payment, with some improvements. 
5. Review and ‘stress-test’ the Building Regulation and planning regimes to ensure they are fit for the climate of the future
   Most developments we build today will still be standing in 2100. We must ensure that new homes can keep their occupants safe, cool and healthy over their entire lifespans. This does not just mean making them resilient to extreme heat, but also to floods, storms, wildfires, and droughts. 
   The Building Regulation and planning regimes were designed for a climate that no longer exists. The government should commission an independent climate resilience review of the Building Regulation and planning regimes as part of the its work on the long-term housing strategy. The review should be tasked with delivering recommendations to ensure that all new homes, developments, and communities are fully resilient to the impacts of climate change across the rest of this century. 

Our impact

CIH has been advocating for these priorities over the last few years, working with our members, stakeholders, policymakers, sector partners, and parliamentarians to change policy. Our impacts include: 

• We provided written and oral evidence to the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee on the importance of strengthening Part O of the Building Regulations, as part of the committee’s inquiry into housing conditions in England. In a letter to the minister for housing and planning, the committee adopted CIH’s recommendation for Part O to be rigorously stress-tested to determine whether its requirements are sufficient for the higher temperatures that the UK could be exposed to as a result of climate change. In response, the government committed to reviewing Part O and ensuring it is fit for the future as the climate continues to change.
• Our research with the University of East London was cited in London’s first ever heat plan, providing supporting evidence for the plan’s objectives for the built environment and priority areas of focus.
• Our research on heat risk communication and adaptation was also cited in the National Heat Risk Commission’s inaugural framing report on preparing for a hotter future.
• We provided written and oral evidence to the London Assembly’s Planning and Regeneration Committee’s inquiry on how to prevent homes from overheating in London. The final report of the inquiry cited our evidence extensively, and adopted several of CIH’s recommendations, including encouraging the government to apply overheating requirements to major retrofit works and homes created through Permitted Development Rights.
• Our submission to the government’s review of the fuel poverty strategy for England helped to set out the case for the integration of cooling measures into the government’s low-income retrofit schemes, which was later announced in the Warm Homes Plan.
• Our written evidence to the Public Accounts Committee on their inquiry into government resilience and extreme weather was cited in their final report.
• We have hosted two roundtables with the University of East London, focusing on bringing together policymakers, health professionals, press and communications professionals, housing professionals, and charities to discuss how we can work together to tackle overheating.
• In June 2026, we collaborated with the National Housing Federation to begin a cross-sector campaign to raise awareness about overheating in homes. This included the publication of research that was widely covered in The Guardian, BBC, and other national media outlets. 
• We have given several invited presentations about our research and advocacy on overheating in homes to housing sector conferences, webinars, and events. We also regularly provide expert comment in the press and media about overheating in homes.

Our publications and research reports

CIH is committed to ensuring our policy and advocacy work on overheating is informed by the input of our members, and by robust research and evidence. We have published several research reports, policy briefings, and peer-reviewed academic articles in collaboration with our partners. 

CIH member resources

CIH members can find further information and resources on overheating and climate adaptation in the climate and sustainability section of our Knowledge Hub. 

Contact

For any media requests, please contact CIH press team on press@cih.org.

For any other queries, please contact CIH policy manager Matthew Scott: matthew.scott@cih.org.