Health and Warmth
The impacts of living in
insufficiently warm housing can be severe, especially for those
that are vulnerable, such as the over 60's, the disabled, and the
very young. In Britain there are up to 30,000 excess winter
deaths each year, some of which are a direct result of living in
cold and possibly damp housing conditions. Consequences of
living with inadequate warmth include :-
- respiratory infections
- cardiovascular problems / stroke
- accidents, as cold can slow mental processes and lead to
confusion
- depression
- hypothermia.
The following diagram illustrates the potential effects as the
temperature lowers.
21°C Comfortable
Temperature
18
°C No
health risk
15°C Risk of
respiratory infection
12°C Risk of cardiovascular
problems/stroke
9
°C Risk of
hypothermia
Source 1996, English House
Condition
Survey via Dick, Moor,
Warwick
|
The Government has a website that provides a range of
information about keep warm and healthy in winter, winter fuel
payments, grants for insulation and more>
Keep Warm
website.
It has also produced a booklet that gives guidance on keeping
warm and healthy in colder months, which you may download here
:
Keep Warm Keep Well booklet. THIS
BOOKLET IS AVAILABLE IN OTHER LANGUAGES. Go to the Keep Warm
website to download, or contact Jane Altounyan on 023 8068 8274 to
request a supply.
Fuel poverty, in which a household is
spending greater than 10% of their income on fuel to keep warm, has
been recognised as an important issue by the Government, and there
are both full and partial grants available for cavity wall and loft
insulation, for draught-proofing, and for heating improvements to
the home you own or rent. More information about these grants
can be found on our page
Grants for energy efficiency 
For further information contact Jane Altounyan on 023 8068
8274
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Page Last Updated: 1/7/2008
Eastleigh Borough Council
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Eastleigh Borough Council, Civic Offices, Leigh Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9YN
Telephone:023 8068 8068; Fax:023 8068 8257; Text:07797 877001
Email:
direct@eastleigh.gov.uk