The connection of cold, damp housing and rates of morbidity and mortality are well documented. Although actual cases of hypothermia deaths are comparatively rare (250-350 per year) of greater significance is the incidence of cold related illness. Cold homes have been shown to exacerbate existing illnesses such as asthma and heart disease and reduce resistance to illnesses like influenza, pneumonia and bronchitis. Cold homes also contribute to an increased risk of falls amongst the elderly and have been linked to social exclusion, low educational attainment and mental health problems.

Excess winter deaths

The scale of problem is massive. There were an estimated 36,700 excess winter deaths in England and Wales in 2008/09 which was an increase of 49% on 2007/08. This is the highest level of excess winter deaths since 1999/2000 and the majority of these deaths occurred among those aged 75 and over. This level of excess winter deaths is far more than those in colder countries such as Russia and Sweden.

Excess winter deaths contribute to 1 in 20 of all deaths per year. Cold weather increases hospital admissions; after a ‘cold snap’, there is a two-day lag before there is an increase in deaths from heart disease, a five-day lag for deaths from stroke and a 12 day lag for both deaths and admissions for COPD. For each excess winter death, there is an estimated eight emergency admissions each winter and over 100 households living in fuel poverty.  It has also been suggested that for every 1°C that the winter temperature drops below the average there will be an increase of 8,000 excess winter deaths.

It is estimated that fuel poverty costs the NHS around £1 billion each year in medical costs. The actual costs may be a lot higher if other factors are considered, including educational underperformance of children in fuel poverty and social service costs incurred outside NHS budgets. Greater investment in tackling fuel poverty would therefore reduce costs to the NHS – for every £1 spent on keeping fuel poor homes warm reduces the cost to the NHS by 42p.

The Wakefield district has a high level of excess winter deaths. There were 210 excess winter deaths in Wakefield in 2008/09 which is an increase on the previous year (160) and the highest since 2004/05.* Whilst it is not possible to attribute these directly to cold weather only, it is widely recognised that fuel poverty is a likely factor when temperature plumet whoch they have in the recent winters.

The effects of fuel poverty are seriously felt in the Wakefield District. Research shows that in Wakefield there were 210 excess winter deaths for the period 2008-09. This equates to an excess winter mortality index of 20.8% which is above the West Yorkshire-wide figure of 17%.*

*Source: ONS 2010.