One in 25 older people living alone in some areas of England and Wales have no central heating, new analysis suggests.
Barrow-in-Furness, Portsmouth and Pendle are among the local authorities with at least 4% of one-person households aged 65 and over in this position, as well as several boroughs in London.
Overall, more than 66,000 over-65s across the two nations are likely to be living alone without central heating, according to analysis of census 2021 data by the PA news agency.
Age UK described the findings as being “of tremendous concern” and warned of “potentially serious consequences” for older people’s health and wellbeing.
Some 11 local authority areas recorded at least 4% of people aged 65 and over living alone with no central heating.
Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria had the highest proportion at 5.4% (262 people), followed by Gwynedd in north-west Wales (4.6% or 401 people), Portsmouth (4.5% or 498), and Pendle in Lancashire (4.4% or 237).
London boroughs Waltham Forest, Lambeth and Westminster were also among the highest areas, with 4.3% (371 people), 4.1% (425) and 4.0% (407) respectively.
Having no central heating is one of the household characteristics used as an indicator of deprivation.
There were 3.1 million one-person households aged 65 and over in England and Wales on March 21 2021, the day of the census, and of those 2.1% – 66,027 – had no central heating.
The PA analysis also found that more than 100 local authority areas had at least two-fifths of older people living alone who are disabled – another indicator of deprivation.
The definition of disabled used by the census is people who have assessed their day-to-day activities as limited by long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses.
While Blaenau Gwent had the highest proportion of disabled older people living alone – 50.7% or 2,288 people – it was among the areas with the lowest proportion of older people living alone without central heating, at 0.8% or 36 people.
County Durham, North East Derbyshire and Hart in Hampshire all had the lowest proportion of lone older people without central heating, at 0.7%.
After Blaenau Gwent, the areas with the highest percentage of disabled older people living alone were Knowsley (49.7% or 4,269 people) and Liverpool (49.1% or 13,256 people).
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at older people’s charity Age UK told PA: “Having limited money in later life really impacts day-to-day living, exacerbating feelings of loneliness and disconnection from society.
“These figures are of tremendous concern, as older people lacking central heating often find it very difficult to stay warm during the winter months with potentially serious consequences for their health and wellbeing.
“Living alone can make this situation worse as it means that one person’s income has to stretch further to cover the fixed costs of heating a home, and it can, in some cases, lead to social isolation, which can have additional negative consequences.”
Ms Abrahams called on the Government to “make sure that it is prepared for next winter”.
She added: “Expanding central heating access and providing suitable alternatives to keep older people warm will be absolutely key.”
When looking at the proportion of older people living alone in one-bedroom accommodation, the local authorities with the highest figures are all in London, with Westminster top of the list (52.4% or 5,272 people), followed by Camden (48.7%) and Hackney (46.9%).
Southampton (34.6%), Brighton & Hove (33.7%) and Portsmouth (30.7%) have the highest proportion for areas outside London.
Age UK said anyone who is struggling, or their concerned families and friends, can contact its free Age UK advice line on 0800 169 65 65 which is open every day from 8am until 7pm.
Labour’s shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband said: “These figures are deeply concerning. No person in Britain should have to live in a cold home, and it is a disgrace that this is happening under Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives.
“Labour would launch a national Warm Homes Plan to upgrade every home that needs it, so that every family can have the warmth they need and cheaper energy bills.
“And with our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, we will cut bills for good.”
One-person households aged 65 and over with no central heating, by local area
Here is a list of the number of one-person households aged 65 and over in England and Wales with no central heating, by local authority area.
The data is taken from the latest census, which took place on March 21 2021.
It has been compiled by the PA news agency using figures published by the Office for National Statistics.
The list is ranked by the proportion of households without central heating, starting with the highest.
It reads, from left to right: name of local authority, number of one-person households aged 65 and over, the number of these households with no central heating, and the percentage of these households with no central heating.
Barrow-in-Furness 4,876 262 5.4%
Gwynedd 8,808 401 4.6%
Portsmouth 11,136 498 4.5%
Pendle 5,375 237 4.4%
Waltham Forest 8,701 371 4.3%
Lambeth 10,241 425 4.1%
Cornwall 41,023 1687 4.1%
Calderdale 12,858 522 4.1%
Westminster 10,067 407 4.0%
Merton 7,845 316 4.0%
Torridge 5,163 207 4.0%
Birmingham 49,151 1940 3.9%
Lewisham 10,000 389 3.9%
Liverpool 27,000 1048 3.9%
Newham 6,761 262 3.9%
Haringey 9,483 366 3.9%
Hammersmith and Fulham 7,772 294 3.8%
Kirklees 23,405 864 3.7%
Bradford 26,075 951 3.6%
Leeds 42,017 1532 3.6%
Coventry 16,237 576 3.5%
Burnley 5,483 194 3.5%
Blackpool 10,289 363 3.5%
Hackney 8,025 281 3.5%
Hastings 6,341 222 3.5%
Exeter 7,392 255 3.4%
Isle of Wight 12,099 411 3.4%
Craven 4,563 153 3.4%
Southwark 10,141 339 3.3%
Preston 6,990 233 3.3%
Hyndburn 4,898 163 3.3%
Brighton and Hove 14,551 482 3.3%
Ealing 12,456 407 3.3%
Plymouth 15,745 510 3.2%
Croydon 15,347 490 3.2%
Ceredigion 5,344 170 3.2%
Kingston upon Thames 7,177 227 3.2%
North Devon 7,057 223 3.2%
Barking and Dagenham 6,310 198 3.1%
Brent 10,256 321 3.1%
West Devon 4,203 131 3.1%
Sandwell 15,680 482 3.1%
Ipswich 7,553 231 3.1%
Camden 10,253 313 3.1%
Medway 13,667 417 3.1%
East Staffordshire 6,827 208 3.0%
Lancaster 9,239 279 3.0%
Mid Devon 5,402 163 3.0%
Enfield 12,803 385 3.0%
Leicester 12,452 374 3.0%
Kingston upon Hull 14,605 433 3.0%
Derby 13,556 400 3.0%
Torbay 11,519 338 2.9%
Manchester 19,805 567 2.9%
Blackburn with Darwen 7,004 199 2.8%
Wolverhampton 13,586 383 2.8%
Hounslow 9,633 271 2.8%
Gosport 5,655 158 2.8%
South Hams 6,795 186 2.7%
Teignbridge 10,244 279 2.7%
Eden 3,974 108 2.7%
South Ribble 7,100 190 2.7%
Isle of Anglesey 5,427 145 2.7%
Tameside 13,624 364 2.7%
Southampton 12,025 321 2.7%
Dudley 19,819 529 2.7%
Sutton 9,894 264 2.7%
Bexley 12,333 329 2.7%
Islington 8,160 215 2.6%
Sedgemoor 8,096 212 2.6%
Richmond upon Thames 10,449 273 2.6%
Herefordshire 13,420 345 2.6%
Halton 7,477 192 2.6%
Swale 8,151 209 2.6%
Worcester 5,789 148 2.6%
Gravesham 5,321 136 2.6%
South Lakeland 8,539 218 2.6%
Bristol 20,608 520 2.5%
Oxford 6,218 155 2.5%
Allerdale 7,160 178 2.5%
Watford 3,910 97 2.5%
Scarborough 9,327 230 2.5%
Great Yarmouth 7,141 176 2.5%
Tower Hamlets 6,190 151 2.4%
Pembrokeshire 9,660 235 2.4%
Stoke-on-Trent 14,876 360 2.4%
Chorley 6,551 158 2.4%
Walsall 15,087 361 2.4%
Barnet 15,868 379 2.4%
North East Lincolnshire 10,449 248 2.4%
Sefton 20,600 488 2.4%
Knowsley 8,583 203 2.4%
Carlisle 7,644 180 2.4%
Somerset West and Taunton 11,908 275 2.3%
Copeland 4,822 111 2.3%
Wirral 23,457 539 2.3%
Nottingham 14,221 326 2.3%
Powys 10,886 249 2.3%
Erewash 7,179 164 2.3%
Bolton 16,003 365 2.3%
Ryedale 4,236 95 2.2%
Conwy 9,633 214 2.2%
Wyre Forest 7,498 164 2.2%
Southend-on-Sea 11,369 246 2.2%
East Devon 12,212 263 2.2%
Bury 11,083 238 2.1%
Stockport 18,534 393 2.1%
Rossendale 4,301 91 2.1%
Shropshire 22,224 470 2.1%
Folkestone and Hythe 8,213 173 2.1%
Havering 13,254 278 2.1%
Staffordshire Moorlands 6,822 143 2.1%
Hillingdon 11,608 242 2.1%
Sheffield 31,039 647 2.1%
St Helens 11,689 241 2.1%
Cardiff 17,344 357 2.1%
Thanet 10,603 215 2.0%
Lincoln 5,105 103 2.0%
York 12,049 243 2.0%
Bromley 18,111 364 2.0%
Rochdale 11,843 238 2.0%
Maidstone 8,780 176 2.0%
Norwich 8,602 172 2.0%
Malvern Hills 5,864 117 2.0%
Warrington 11,935 237 2.0%
South Somerset 12,205 240 2.0%
Nuneaton and Bedworth 7,481 146 2.0%
Wyre 9,134 178 1.9%
Epping Forest 7,584 145 1.9%
Bromsgrove 6,126 117 1.9%
Runnymede 4,636 88 1.9%
Fareham 7,575 143 1.9%
Cheltenham 7,632 144 1.9%
Derbyshire Dales 5,538 104 1.9%
Adur 4,858 91 1.9%
Trafford 13,254 248 1.9%
North Norfolk 9,621 180 1.9%
Tendring 13,334 249 1.9%
Swindon 10,994 205 1.9%
West Northamptonshire 20,282 378 1.9%
Mendip 7,896 147 1.9%
East Suffolk 19,665 366 1.9%
Tewkesbury 5,972 111 1.9%
Maldon 4,361 81 1.9%
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 27,544 507 1.8%
Denbighshire 7,261 133 1.8%
Melton 3,280 60 1.8%
Dover 8,277 151 1.8%
Warwick 8,394 153 1.8%
Fylde 6,768 122 1.8%
Solihull 13,447 242 1.8%
Cheshire East 25,692 458 1.8%
Eastleigh 7,414 132 1.8%
Canterbury 10,050 178 1.8%
Salford 13,021 228 1.8%
High Peak 6,120 107 1.7%
Dorset 30,641 534 1.7%
Lewes 8,070 139 1.7%
East Lindsey 11,338 195 1.7%
Stafford 8,609 148 1.7%
Brentwood 4,579 78 1.7%
Tonbridge and Malling 7,055 120 1.7%
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk 10,968 186 1.7%
Woking 5,015 85 1.7%
Arun 13,699 232 1.7%
Ashford 6,872 116 1.7%
Tunbridge Wells 6,637 112 1.7%
Ribble Valley 4,148 69 1.7%
Cherwell 7,714 127 1.6%
Bath and North East Somerset 11,197 184 1.6%
Amber Valley 8,283 136 1.6%
New Forest 13,881 226 1.6%
Bedford 8,993 146 1.6%
East Hertfordshire 7,825 127 1.6%
Rother 8,656 140 1.6%
Harrogate 10,825 175 1.6%
Oldham 12,246 197 1.6%
South Staffordshire 7,435 118 1.6%
East Riding of Yorkshire 25,206 400 1.6%
Middlesbrough 8,149 129 1.6%
Colchester 10,197 160 1.6%
North Northamptonshire 18,452 289 1.6%
South Norfolk 9,084 142 1.6%
Carmarthenshire 13,077 204 1.6%
Braintree 8,931 139 1.6%
South Derbyshire 5,364 83 1.5%
Redditch 4,595 71 1.5%
Stroud 7,934 122 1.5%
Sevenoaks 7,290 112 1.5%
Cheshire West and Chester 22,156 340 1.5%
Darlington 7,158 109 1.5%
Selby 5,000 76 1.5%
Guildford 6,984 106 1.5%
Wigan 19,408 294 1.5%
Chelmsford 9,951 150 1.5%
Wychavon 8,572 129 1.5%
Forest of Dean 5,811 87 1.5%
Rushmoor 4,112 61 1.5%
Vale of White Horse 7,284 108 1.5%
Monmouthshire 6,751 100 1.5%
Chichester 9,783 144 1.5%
West Lancashire 7,140 105 1.5%
Windsor and Maidenhead 7,911 116 1.5%
Hertsmere 5,729 84 1.5%
Cannock Chase 5,683 82 1.4%
Rugby 5,906 85 1.4%
Newcastle-under-Lyme 8,003 115 1.4%
Cotswold 6,613 95 1.4%
North Somerset 14,970 215 1.4%
West Lindsey 6,497 93 1.4%
Redcar and Cleveland 10,159 145 1.4%
Wiltshire 30,902 441 1.4%
Hinckley and Bosworth 6,806 97 1.4%
West Berkshire 8,650 123 1.4%
Elmbridge 7,529 107 1.4%
Charnwood 9,643 137 1.4%
Babergh 6,496 92 1.4%
North Hertfordshire 7,804 110 1.4%
Peterborough 9,319 131 1.4%
Wrexham 8,373 117 1.4%
East Hampshire 7,523 105 1.4%
Fenland 6,593 92 1.4%
Vale of Glamorgan 8,816 122 1.4%
Crawley 4,787 66 1.4%
Wakefield 20,705 284 1.4%
South Cambridgeshire 8,479 115 1.4%
Tandridge 5,169 70 1.4%
Broxtowe 7,095 96 1.4%
South Kesteven 9,139 123 1.3%
Test Valley 7,369 99 1.3%
Dacorum 8,297 111 1.3%
Telford and Wrekin 9,440 126 1.3%
Richmondshire 3,223 43 1.3%
Stratford-on-Avon 9,194 122 1.3%
Reigate and Banstead 7,583 100 1.3%
Horsham 9,185 121 1.3%
Central Bedfordshire 14,502 191 1.3%
Newark and Sherwood 7,986 105 1.3%
Three Rivers 4,965 65 1.3%
Mole Valley 6,045 79 1.3%
Mid Suffolk 6,541 85 1.3%
North Warwickshire 3,777 49 1.3%
Winchester 7,504 97 1.3%
Buckinghamshire 28,083 362 1.3%
Bassetlaw 7,533 97 1.3%
Wealden 11,293 145 1.3%
West Suffolk 10,812 138 1.3%
Breckland 9,012 115 1.3%
Rutland 2,676 34 1.3%
Lichfield 6,648 84 1.3%
South Gloucestershire 14,853 187 1.3%
Boston 4,182 52 1.2%
Newport 8,787 109 1.2%
Uttlesford 4,851 60 1.2%
Rushcliffe 7,125 88 1.2%
Huntingdonshire 9,917 122 1.2%
South Oxfordshire 8,310 102 1.2%
Newcastle upon Tyne 15,653 192 1.2%
Merthyr Tydfil 3,604 44 1.2%
St Albans 7,344 89 1.2%
Hambleton 6,779 82 1.2%
Blaby 5,803 70 1.2%
Rhondda Cynon Taf 14,687 177 1.2%
Rotherham 15,765 189 1.2%
South Holland 6,093 73 1.2%
Gateshead 13,251 158 1.2%
Milton Keynes 11,491 137 1.2%
Gedling 7,474 89 1.2%
Flintshire 9,962 118 1.2%
Doncaster 18,802 220 1.2%
East Cambridgeshire 4,960 58 1.2%
North West Leicestershire 5,817 68 1.2%
Broadland 9,006 105 1.2%
Swansea 15,869 180 1.1%
Neath Port Talbot 9,415 105 1.1%
Ashfield 7,339 80 1.1%
Stockton-on-Tees 11,344 121 1.1%
Northumberland 23,968 254 1.1%
Chesterfield 7,291 77 1.1%
Mid Sussex 8,917 94 1.1%
Rochford 5,634 59 1.0%
Basingstoke and Deane 8,619 90 1.0%
North Kesteven 7,478 76 1.0%
Bracknell Forest 5,452 55 1.0%
North Lincolnshire 10,726 108 1.0%
Waverley 7,847 79 1.0%
Barnsley 14,729 148 1.0%
West Oxfordshire 6,785 66 1.0%
Mansfield 6,516 63 1.0%
Surrey Heath 4,552 42 0.9%
Bolsover 4,993 46 0.9%
Harborough 5,547 49 0.9%
Torfaen 5,926 52 0.9%
South Tyneside 11,001 91 0.8%
Caerphilly 10,903 90 0.8%
Sunderland 18,334 149 0.8%
Bridgend 8,872 71 0.8%
Blaenau Gwent 4,516 36 0.8%
Wokingham 7,887 61 0.8%
Hart 5,112 36 0.7%
North East Derbyshire 7,254 51 0.7%
County Durham 35,625 241 0.7%
