More than one in five French households (22%) say they suffered from the cold for at least 24 hours in 2022. This was revealed by the annual barometer published by the National Energy Ombudsman on October 18. A figure that is constantly increasing, given that it was 20% in 2021 and 14% in 2020. What are the health risks for those who are cold at home? Our English neighbors have asked themselves the same question. And here are some answers.
Low temperatures affect the very functioning of our body
Dame Margaret Whitehead, Professor of Public Health at the University of Liverpool
The BBC published an article, this Tuesday, November 8, on the consequences of cold housing on the health of its inhabitants. “It’s important to get over the misconception that a cold home is just uncomfortable,” says Dame Margaret Whitehead, professor of public health at the University of Liverpool. Low temperatures affect the very functioning of our body. People with cancer, arthritis, or certain disabilities can be particularly sensitive to cold. But there are also less obvious problems. The British newspaper also collected the results of several scientific studies showing that “cold storage houses are harmful to their occupants and sometimes even fatal”. “The risk of stroke, respiratory infections, falls or other injuries is greater because people’s strength and dexterity are reduced in cold temperatures,” the article concludes. BBC.
69% of French households have already turned down the heat
Faced with these figures, the figures published by the National Energy Ombudsman are all the more alarming. In 2022, 69% of French households say they have reduced their domestic heating to limit the amount of their bills. They are more and more numerous, since they were 53% in 2020. One month before the publication of these data, Emmanuel Macron, however, had divided a request between the French and the French, asking them to turn down the heating of their accommodation. A “small collective effort”, according to the President who calls for “energy sobriety” to face the risk of shortage and the increase in the price of energy. Given the living conditions of a large part of French men and women, the request could have been accepted without being collective.
Cover image: Unsplash / Amin Hasani
Source: Madmoizelle
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
