More than half of French people suffered from heat in their homes for at least 24 hours in 2022

More than half of French people (59%) suffered from heat in their homes for at least 24 hours in 2022, according to the latest study by the Abbé-Pierre Foundation published on Monday 26 June. It points to a new form of poor housing: energy poverty in summer. “The 5.2 million thermal colanders that cannot be heated in winter turn into energy kettles that cannot be cooled in summer,” emphasizes the study.

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Global warming and the increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves accentuate this phenomenon. “In June 2022, 69% of French people say they suffer from excessively high temperatures in periods of high heat in their home”, according to the study. The most precarious people living in apartments located in cities, young adults and the elderly are the most affected by summer fuel poverty.

Economic and health consequences

As with winter fuel poverty, the consequences are “health, social, economic and environmental”. “Cooling efforts using showers or appliances can lead to high water and energy bills,” explains the Abbé-Pierre Foundation, which also stresses that air conditioning is “a false economic and ecological solution”. High temperatures can also cause dysregulation of sleep, the development or aggravation of pathologies, blood circulation problems, loss of autonomy in the elderly and dehydration.

The Abbé-Pierre Foundation denounces a “insufficient regulatory and legislative framework”. An indicator was created by environmental regulations RE2020 to measure the duration and intensity of summer discomfort: the degree-hour, but it only concerns new constructions. For the existing fleet, the energy performance diagnosis (DPE) “must theoretically offer an assessment of summer comfort (…) accompanied by work recommendations”, recalls the study. On the other hand, this evaluation does not impact the score of the DPE, “therefore not really encouraging renovation work to improve summer comfort”judges the Foundation.

The Abbé-Pierre Foundation offers several solutions: bioclimatic architecture to self-regulate the temperature of buildings, greening cities, protecting tenants by requiring social landlords to install solar protection, or even helping households to cope with the additional cost linked to cooling with assistance to pay energy bills. It also pleads for better consideration of the concept of summer comfort in French legislation.