Graphs at a glance: mortality rises by 19% in England's winter. One in five of these excess deaths are caused by cold homes.

From a report by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change, here is an extract of evidence provided to the Select Committee by the National Pensioners Convention:
 

"Every year, mortality rises by 19% in the winter months in England. This amounts to an average of 27,000 “excess” winter deaths (EWDs); 90.8% of which last year were in the over 65 age group.

The majority of these deaths occur among older people, especially women, and those with underlying health problems. However, they are not people who would have otherwise died at that time. Most deaths are due to cardiac disease, strokes and respiratory problems, not hypothermia.

The Marmot Review Team also found there was a greater risk of death in colder housing than in the warmest housing, estimating that 21.5% of all excess winter deaths could be attributed to cold homes.

Excess Winter Deaths

They also claimed that each centigrade degree reduction below 18°C in temperature in the UK corresponded with an extra 3,500 deaths.

In the winter period (December to March) of 2011–12 there were an estimated 24,000 more deaths in England and Wales, compared with the average for the non-winter period. The overall figure represents a death rate of around eight pensioners an hour during the four month period in question."

"There are specific reasons why older people are more susceptible to cold weather. Most EWDs (40%) are due to strokes and heart attacks because the blood becomes more liable to clot in people exposed to the cold. Older people are more susceptible to clotting because their blood vessels tend to have rougher linings than those of younger people. As a result, a 1oC lowering of temperature in the living area of an older person is associated with a rise of 1.3mmHg in their blood pressure, due to cold extremities and lowered core body temperature."

"An added complication for older people is that they have reduced skin sensitivity to cold and a reduced perception of how cold it is, thereby making them slower to react to protect themselves. They are also more likely to be suffering from chronic conditions which may also lower body metabolism which means the body generates less heat, while stroke, Parkinson’s disease and dementia restrict activity, slowing body heat generation and conservation"