Two thirds of people struggled to sleep in June’s record-breaking heatwave, while someone felt unwell in nearly a quarter of families, polling for Greenpeace shows.

The heatwave also cost people extra money. It disrupted work, schooling, transport and even health appointments, the survey of more than 2,235 people by YouGov for Greenpeace suggests. The biggest issue in the heatwave was getting a decent night’s rest, with 65 per cent of those quizzed saying they struggled to sleep.

The environmental group said the findings revealed the “brutal reality of dragging our feet on climate action in the UK”. It urged the British Government to make big polluters pay for some of the costs of cooling homes, protecting public health and making infrastructure resilient to the heat.

Polluters

Mel Evans, head of climate at Greenpeace UK, said: “Heatwaves are a creeping health, housing and economic emergency that is costing families money they don’t have.

“And as these extremes become our new normal, the public wants the corporate polluters who made this mess to pay their fair share towards fixing it.

“It’s a moral failing that British households are bearing the economic, social and physical costs of climate breakdown mostly caused by fossil fuel giants.

“The government must stop big polluters from heating up our planet and make sure they pay at least some of the costs of cooling our homes, securing our national infrastructure and protecting public health.”

Fans

The findings come as parts of Britain swelter in the summer’s third heatwave, after temperatures hit record highs for the time of year at the end of May and again at the end of June.

Heatwaves are becoming more intense and frequent as a result of climate change caused by human activity – mostly burning fossil fuels – with the independent advisory Climate Change Committee warning that Britain is unprepared for the threats to the current way of life climate impacts pose.

In the last heatwave, temperatures reached a new high of 37.7C, beating the previous June record dating back from the summer of 1976, and combined with high humidity and “tropical nights” where temperatures do not drop below 20C.

The poll for Greenpeace found 44 per cent of respondents thought their home was uncomfortably or dangerously hot in the June heatwave. 

More than a third spent extra money on fans, cooling, cold food or drinks, while one in eight had to throw away food because it spoiled and the same number had trouble travelling because of heat-related disruption.

Upgrades

And 23 per cent also said they or someone in their household felt unwell because of the heat, highlighting the health dangers of heatwaves, while a small proportion - at two per cent - found a medical, dental, care or support appointment was cancelled, delayed or missed.

Nearly one in 10 said they were unable to work, had to stop work early or lost working hours, while more than a quarter said they were less productive and three in five said their workplace was too hot. And eight per cent suffered disruptions with their child’s school, nursery or childcare, the poll found.

The survey also found that nearly half of those quizzed thought the upgrades to Britain's infrastructure needed to enable the country to cope with rising temperatures and heatwaves should be paid for by a levy on companies with high carbon emissions – making it the most popular option.

Reducing public spending in other areas, increasing taxes or government borrowing polled very poorly, while one in eight people said they did not think the upgrades were necessary.

This Author

Emily Beament is the environment correspondent for Press Association.