Guidance to help combat the challenges of overheating in dwellings

Overheating is becoming commonplace in certain types of UK homes. Trends towards increased urbanisation, combined with the potential effects of climate change and global warming could mean more homes will suffer from overheating and exacerbate the problem for those that already overheat.

The guidance and the associated assessment protocol were produced by BRE, in collaboration with the Warwick Medical School, the Service des Etudes Etudes Médicales, EDF and the BRE Centre for Resilience, with funding from the BRE Trust. They are designed primarily for environmental health practitioners (EHPs) but will be of interest to all those involved designing and managing dwellings. The documents consider the health and wellbeing of the occupants as well as the features of the dwelling itself.

The guidance builds on the English Housing Health and Safety Rating System or HHRS (ODPM 2006), in which ‘excess heat’ is one of the risks to be assessed in dwellings by EHPs. This updated guidance offers information regarding what causes overheating and the options regarding preventative measures.

The assessment protocol provides a process to be used to determine the seriousness of a potential threat to health from exposure to high temperatures within a dwelling.

Download the guidance document

Download the assessment protocol

Find out more about the work of the BRE Indoor Environments Team: