The UK’s Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has called for government-backed summer cooling schemes to protect vulnerable populations during increasingly severe heatwaves.
BESA, which represents firms involved in heating, cooling and ventilation, said advancements in heat pump technology present an opportunity to address the overheating risks in UK homes. The association is advocating for incentives to install systems that offer both heating and cooling, particularly in existing housing stock.
“We need an urgent rethink about how we cool and ventilate our homes,” said BESA technical director Kevin Morrissey. “A similar summer cooling scheme, targeted at vulnerable members of the population, now deserves serious consideration.”
Citing research that shows up to 80% of UK homes now overheat during the summer, BESA highlighted rising indoor temperatures as a growing health risk. Government forecasts suggest UK summer temperatures could rise by 1.3°C to 5.1°C in the coming decades.
BESA pointed to findings from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine indicating that excess deaths from the 2022 heatwave may have been significantly underreported. The British Medical Journal warns that heat-related fatalities in the UK could exceed 10,000 annually by 2050, with children, vulnerable adults and low-income families most at risk.
The association is urging policymakers to adapt existing schemes—such as the Warm Homes Plan, the Great British Insulation Scheme and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)—to support cooling initiatives. It is also calling for BUS grant funding to include air-to-air heat pumps that offer both cooling and heating, noting that uptake of these technologies remains below targets.
Morrissey cautioned that cooling must be implemented as part of a broader strategy, adding: “Mechanical cooling/air conditioning should not be seen as a panacea—it needs to be considered alongside other methods such as shading and smart controls.”
