A Warm Home, A Fair Chance

New research by National Energy Action reveals how fuel poverty is reshaping childhood in the UK. Drawing on insights from 101 educators and a Youth Insights for Change workshop with young people, the report shows a consistent and troubling picture: cold homes are affecting children’s health, learning, wellbeing and dignity every day.

Educators report pupils arriving cold, tired, hungry, unwashed or wearing damp‑smelling clothes, struggling to concentrate, and often absent due to illness linked to cold or damp housing. Many describe children falling asleep in class, hiding their home circumstances out of shame, or withdrawing socially because of bullying fears. Young people themselves describe homes that are ‘freezing’, ‘dark’ or ‘smelling of damp’, with mould on walls, limited hot water, shared beds for warmth, and families unable to cook because of energy costs. They link these conditions to anxiety, poor sleep, and difficulty keeping up at school.

As external support has eroded, schools have become the ‘fourth emergency service’, providing food, warm spaces, clothing, hygiene items and crisis navigation, often funded from staff’s own pockets. But educators are clear: the situation is worsening and increasingly unsustainable. Both adults and children identify the same structural causes, and both agree: no child or parent should be expected to solve this alone. Warm, safe homes are essential for health, learning and childhood itself.

Read our report: A Warm Home, A Fair Chance