Sleep loss, spoiled food, ill health – major new survey reveals heatwave’s impact on UK households

June’s historic heatwave caused mass sleep deprivation, forced millions to throw away spoiled food and left over half the country trapped in homes they can’t afford to cool, fresh polling data reveals

 Key findings:

●      65% of  UK adults struggled to sleep during June’s heatwave, with nearly half (48%) of those losing three or more hours each night

●      Almost a quarter (23%) said they or someone in their household felt physically unwell because of the heatwave

●      Over half of respondents (56%) said their homes need retrofit upgrades to cope with future heatwaves – yet 78% would struggle to afford them

●      Almost half (46%) of  UK adults said they would support a levy on high-carbon emitting companies to fund these essential upgrades

●      60% of workers said their workplaces were uncomfortably hot, with more than a quarter (27%) admitting they were less productive, and 9% reporting they worked in “unsafe” conditions

●      22% of UK adults were forced to throw away food that spoiled in the heat, went off sooner than expected or couldn’t be kept cool – compounding cost-of-living pressures

 A major new YouGov survey released today reveals the massive social, financial, and productivity cost of June’s historic heatwave – with millions of Brits experiencing sleepless nights, spoiled food and uncomfortably hot workplaces.

The poll, commissioned by Greenpeace UK, shows a nation fundamentally unequipped to cope with rising temperatures caused by climate change. More than half (56%) say their homes need infrastructure upgrades like air conditioning, heat pumps and insulation to withstand extreme heat, but only around 1 in 8 (13%) would find it easy to afford such measures.

While 86% of UK adults say their homes were too hot in the heat, very few (5%) support raising personal taxes to fix the UK’s crumbling infrastructure. Instead, a levy on high-carbon emitting companies emerged as the single most popular funding option[1] drawing significant public support (46%). This ‘polluter pays’ approach won backing from across the political spectrum, including 35% of Conservative and one quarter (26%) of Reform UK voters.

The findings also shed light on the cost-of-living burden of extreme heat on households. Twenty-two percent of respondents said they had to throw away food that spoiled in the heat, went off sooner than expected or couldn’t be kept cool, and over a third (35%) of UK adults spent extra money on fans, cooling, cold food or drinks to cope with the historic temperatures.

The heatwave also took a heavy toll on productivity and workplace safety. More than a quarter (27%) of respondents said they were less productive. Seven percent of UK adults had to stop work early, 4% lost working hours or income and 9% reported working in conditions they felt were unsafe. A whopping 60% of British workers said their workplaces were “too hot”, with one third (34%) reporting their workplaces were “far too hot”.

The data lands as the nation braces for its third heatwave this summer, following a June that smashed records as the hottest in history. Scientists have confirmed that the extreme temperatures scorching Europe this summer are only possible due to the climate crisis driven mostly by fossil fuel burning.

Mel Evans, head of climate at Greenpeace UK, said:

“This data exposes the brutal reality of dragging our feet on climate action in the UK. Heatwaves are no longer just a novel inconvenience, they 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 UK 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.”

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

1.  Funding options presented in survey: Increasing taxes for everyone (5%); Reducing public spending in other areas (13%); A levy on companies with high emissions (46%); Increasing government borrowing (3%); Something else (6%); Not applicable – I do not think these upgrades are necessary (13%); Don’t know (14%).
2. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 2,135 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 30th June and 1st July 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+). Full dataset is available upon request. 
3. The late-June heatwave saw provisional records shattered across the UK, including a new provisional June maximum temperature of 37.7°C recorded at Lingwood, Norfolk, and record-breaking overnight minimums (“tropical nights”) of 23.5°C in Wales and 23.2°C in England.