As hotter summers increase the risk of excess heat in homes, Chris McQuillan, Framework Manager at Fusion21, explains why social housing providers must connect climate resilience, decarbonisation and procurement.
Overheating in UK homes is no longer a future risk. This summer’s heatwaves have shown how quickly high indoor temperatures can affect residents, particularly in homes that were designed primarily to retain warmth through colder months.
For social housing providers, the challenge is now broader than winter warmth, energy efficiency and fuel poverty. Climate resilience must sit alongside decarbonisation in long-term asset management, helping homes remain safe, comfortable and affordable all year round.
That means understanding whole-home performance: how insulation, ventilation, shading, renewable technologies and resident vulnerability interact as the climate changes.
While excess heat is covered by building regulations for new homes and by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System for rented homes, there is still no single maximum indoor temperature threshold. From 30 November 2026, Phase 2 of Awaab’s Law will bring excess heat hazards within scope, increasing pressure on social landlords to understand where homes and residents are most at risk and act within prescribed timescales.
For many providers, the operational challenge is significant. Without consistent monitoring and recording, it can be difficult to know which homes are overheating, which residents are most vulnerable and which estates need intervention first.
So, should landlords rush to install air conditioning, or are there better long-term options? The answer starts with good procurement. Used early, procurement can help housing providers explore the market, shape specifications and secure solutions that deliver resilience, compliance and value for money.
Why climate resilience matters for social housing
Extreme weather is becoming more visible, more disruptive and more relevant to housing asset management. The Climate Change Committee has warned that a large proportion of existing UK homes could be at risk of overheating by 2050, while heat-related health risks are expected to rise without further adaptation.
This is a clear signal for housing leaders: climate adaptation in housing can no longer be treated as a separate or secondary issue. It needs to shape investment decisions, planned maintenance programmes and resident safety strategies.
Industry debate has increasingly focused on passive cooling, ventilation and long-term resilience. However, the conversation must look beyond new-build housing. Most homes people will live in by 2050 already exist, which means retrofit, maintenance and asset planning will be essential.
Air conditioning may have a role in some settings, but it should not become the default response. Providers need balanced solutions that consider running costs, carbon impact, resident comfort and whole-life value.
Target keywords: overheating in UK homes, social housing climate resilience, excess heat hazards, Awaab’s Law Phase 2, passive cooling, housing retrofit, public sector procurement frameworks.
Balancing overheating, decarbonisation and affordability
Housing associations and local authorities are already balancing multiple priorities: net zero targets, energy efficiency, fuel poverty, building safety, compliance and constrained budgets. Overheating adds another layer of complexity.
The key question is how to keep homes warm and affordable in winter while also reducing excess heat risk in summer. The answer is rarely a single technology. It requires a whole-home approach that considers fabric, ventilation, resident needs and future climate conditions.
Procurement should not be left until a technical solution has already been chosen. When used early, it can help providers assess market capacity, compare options, aggregate demand, build supplier relationships and create specifications that support better long-term outcomes.
At Fusion21, our public sector procurement frameworks are designed to evolve with sector priorities, helping members access approved suppliers with the capability, competence and insight to support modern housing challenges.
That matters because climate resilience is not simply an asset management issue. It is also a supply chain, investment and social value issue — one that requires confidence, collaboration and long-term planning.
Early procurement planning can help ensure that the right solutions are available when they are needed, rather than forcing providers into short-term fixes during periods of extreme heat.
Why passive cooling should be part of long-term housing investment
Housing investment choices can shape asset performance for decades. That is why providers need to consider the whole life of an asset, not just the immediate capital cost of an intervention.
Air conditioning may appear to offer a quick answer to excess heat, but systems can require ongoing maintenance, consume energy and need replacement over time. Passive cooling measures can often provide more sustainable resilience when designed and procured effectively.
These measures may include external shading, improved natural ventilation, reflective surfaces, better design, green spaces, tree planting and carefully planned retrofit works. The aim is not to reject technology, but to avoid siloed decisions that create unintended consequences later.
Future-proofing homes through smarter procurement
Decarbonisation still has an important role to play. Heat pumps, renewable energy generation, solar PV, battery storage and quality assurance audits can all support better-performing homes when they are specified as part of a long-term strategy.
Emerging solutions, such as solar car park canopies, also show how investment can deliver multiple benefits — generating energy, providing shade and supporting wider environmental value.
The organisations best placed to respond will be those that treat climate resilience, decarbonisation and procurement as connected strategic issues. Procurement with purpose can help providers secure technical outcomes while strengthening supply chains, supporting innovation and delivering lasting social, economic and environmental value.
Fusion21’s Heating and Renewables Framework supports public sector organisations, including housing providers, with access to heating, renewables and electrical works. The framework includes sustainable heating technologies such as air source and ground source heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage, electrical works and quality assurance audits.
For housing providers planning climate adaptation, this creates a compliant route to specialist expertise, local delivery, market insight and solutions that support resilience, compliance and value for money.
How Fusion21 can help
Fusion21 can help housing providers make long-term asset investment decisions that support thermal comfort, resident safety and future climate resilience. Our frameworks connect members with approved suppliers, national specialist expertise and innovative, future-focused solutions informed by market insight.
Better planning means better outcomes for residents: homes that are safer, more resilient and more comfortable, whatever the season.
To find out how Fusion21’s procurement frameworks can support housing, health, blue light, NHS and wider public sector organisations, click here or call 0845 308 2321.