Millions of Brits suffer this summer as a new report reveals the everyday impact of "heat trap" homes.

Summer 2026 was one of the hottest on record, with Kew Gardens hitting 38.1°C and 40 days over 30°C nationwide - beating the previous record of 34 days set back in 1995.

But while many enjoyed the sunshine, a new report from MyBuilder.com, the reliable way to hire tradespeople, reveals that Brits' own homes made the heat far harder to live with. The "Heat-Trap Homes Report" found that more than one-third of Britons (37%) said the heat in their homes has negatively affected their wellbeing, and 46% suffered from poor sleep this summer because of the stifling heat. The problem became so severe that 20% of respondents said their bedroom was unusable during the heatwaves, and 5% even resorted to sleeping outside.

The relentless heat also caused a serious issue for those who work from home - 18% said they struggled to focus or be productive due to the heat.

Andy Simms, home and construction expert at MyBuilder.com, said:

"The UK's hottest summer on record exposed a major problem: Britain's housing stock was not built for this. Most of our homes are designed to hold heat in, not let it out, and this summer showed just how big a problem that's becoming."

The data also shows attitudes shifting: a third (35%) of Brits said their home isn't suitable for today's climate, and 39% now see air conditioning as a necessity rather than a luxury.

Cost concerns are a major barrier to change - more than a third (37%) of people surveyed said they cannot afford the changes they want to make to their homes to cope with the heat. This figure rose to 51% of people with children living in their home.

Confusion isn't helping either. Almost half of respondents (49%) said they did not know about heat pump systems that can cool as well as heat, and 56% said they don't know which grants and subsidies are available for sustainable home upgrades.

Andy Simms added:

"Solutions already exist, but affordability concerns and confusion about available options are blocking change. Closing that gap has to be the priority as we face increasingly hotter summers."

It's fuelling calls for policy change too: 64% think the UK should introduce a maximum workplace temperature, and almost half of homeowners (46%) don't think the government is doing enough to help make homes environmentally sustainable.

Platform data from MyBuilder.com also reveals that millions of Brits are also searching for methods to effectively beat the heat in their homes, with demand for home air conditioning surging a whopping 150% year-on-year.