Evaluating the Impacts of Energy Efficiency Improvements on Health and Wellbeing across Shropshire

This report, produced by Marches Energy Agency with funding from Healthwatch Shropshire, examined whether energy efficiency improvements delivered through Shropshire Council’s Heatsavers scheme had affected the health, wellbeing and use of healthcare services of vulnerable households experiencing fuel poverty. The evaluation focused on 105 households that had received heating improvements, with 35 residents completing a questionnaire and 18 participating in follow-up interviews. 

The findings suggest that improving home heating and energy efficiency can have substantial positive effects on residents’ physical health, mental wellbeing and quality of life. A large majority of respondents reported that their homes were more comfortable after the improvements, and many felt healthier during winter months. Overall, 86% said the comfort level of their home had improved, while more than 65% reported feeling better or much better during winter. More than half reported experiencing fewer colds, coughs and flu-like symptoms.

The evaluation also found evidence of reduced reliance on healthcare services. Around 30% of participants reported visiting their doctor less frequently, and 25% believed they were less likely to be admitted to hospital following the installation of heating measures. Most participants reported no change in hospital use, but interview evidence suggested that improved warmth and comfort helped residents manage existing health conditions more effectively and may have prevented further deterioration in health. 

Mental health and wellbeing emerged as particularly important themes. Many interviewees described feeling anxious, stressed, depressed or fearful of winter before receiving support. After the improvements, participants commonly reported feeling safer, less worried about heating costs and more confident about maintaining a warm home. Several respondents described the interventions as “life changing” and said that improved heating had reduced anxiety and improved their overall wellbeing.

The interviews highlighted the impact of cold homes on people with existing health conditions. Participants reported that warmer homes helped them manage conditions such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, chronic fatigue, asthma and depression. Some said they could now use all rooms in their homes, maintain independence and avoid behaviours such as staying in bed, sitting by a single heat source or avoiding cooking because rooms were too cold. 

Financial benefits were also reported. Nearly half of respondents (48%) said their energy bills had fallen, although the report noted that measuring bill reductions was difficult because many households had previously under-heated their homes to save money. In some cases, energy use increased after the intervention because residents were finally able to heat their homes adequately, yet they still considered the improvements worthwhile because their homes were much warmer and more comfortable.

The report estimated that the £70,000 spent on heating interventions through the Heatsavers scheme could generate approximately £400,000 of annual savings to the NHS and wider social care system, based on calculations using the Building Research Establishment’s Housing Health Cost Calculator. This equated to an estimated return of nearly £6 of savings for every £1 invested. 

The authors concluded that energy efficiency improvements can deliver meaningful health and wellbeing benefits for people living in fuel poverty. However, they cautioned that the study relied mainly on participants’ self-reported experiences and involved a relatively small sample size. They recommended larger future studies that include access to health records and collect data both before and after interventions to provide stronger evidence of the relationship between warmer homes, improved health outcomes and reduced demand for healthcare services.