Air Con for the Vulnerable

Support Rowan Victoria’s petition

No Liverpool family should face dangerous heat alone.

Rowan Victoria’s petition asks Liverpool City Council and the UK Government to help low-income residents at greatest risk get suitable home cooling—and afford the electricity to use it during extreme heat.

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Watercolour illustration of overheated Liverpool terraced homes, showing a parent with a toddler, a disabled resident and an older resident trying to keep cool.
Some people face greater health risks from hot weather, especially when their home is hard to keep cool.

Who the petition would helpLow-income residents at greatest risk from heat.

What the petition asks forSuitable cooling and help with electricity.

Long-term changeHomes that stay safer in summer.

Why this matters

Hot homes put people’s health at risk.

Some homes are much harder to keep cool—especially top-floor flats, homes with windows on only one side, large unshaded windows, or windows that cannot be opened safely.

For people already struggling with bills, buying a suitable cooling unit—and paying to run it—may be out of reach.

Illustrated petition artwork showing amber and red extreme-heat warnings, the words ‘Temperatures could hit 40°C this year’, Liverpool terraced homes, and people at higher risk including a child, a wheelchair user and an older person.

“Care and love cannot lower the temperature of a dangerously hot room.”

From “A letter from a Liverpool mother” in Rowan Victoria’s petition

The evidence

What the figures show.

The figures below come from official sources. Follow the links for the full reports.

Who is most at risk?

UKHSA says older people and people with existing health conditions face the greatest health risks in hot weather. Babies and children under five also need extra care.

What Rowan Victoria’s petition asks for

The petition’s six requests.

The petition asks for cooling support now and safer homes for the future.

  1. Secure the funding

    Set aside reliable funding to help households cope with extreme heat.

  2. Include cooling

    Allow crisis-support funding to pay for suitable, energy-efficient cooling equipment.

  3. Prioritise people at risk

    Give priority to low-income residents whose health, age, disability or housing puts them at greatest risk.

  4. Help with running costs

    Help households with the extra electricity cost during heat alerts.

  5. Give clear safety advice

    Explain how to choose and use equipment safely, including when a fan or evaporative cooler may not be enough.

  6. Make homes safer long-term

    Improve homes with shading and safe ventilation, and make sure insulation work does not make summer overheating worse.

Sign the petition on Change.org
Watercolour illustration of a support worker demonstrating a safely vented portable cooling unit to a Liverpool household.

How the proposal could work

Start with the person and the home.

The petition calls for suitable equipment and safe-use guidance. Any scheme would need to consider the person, the building and how badly the home overheats.

  • Keep heat out: use blinds, curtains or external shading, and keep windows closed when it is hotter outside.
  • Let cooler air in: open windows at night when it is cooler and safe to do so; use fans in line with health advice.
  • Provide stronger cooling where needed: use correctly sized, safely vented equipment when shading and ventilation are not enough.
  • Help people use it: set equipment up safely and cover extra electricity costs during heat alerts.

Evaporative coolers add moisture and need ventilation; they are not the same as air conditioning. Insulation work should be checked so it does not trap too much heat in summer.

Who is at greater risk?

UKHSA identifies these groups as more vulnerable in hot weather.

Health and age

Older people; babies and children under five; pregnant people; and people with heart, lung or kidney conditions, diabetes, dementia, Parkinson’s disease or limited mobility.

People who may struggle to keep cool

People who live alone, are socially isolated, need help with daily activities, take medicines that affect temperature or hydration, or cannot keep themselves cool without help.

Homes that overheat easily

Top-floor flats; homes with windows on only one side; large unshaded windows; windows that cannot be opened safely; and homes in dense areas with little shade or green space.

Common questions

How would the scheme work?

Rowan Victoria’s petition seeks help for low-income residents at greatest risk—not air conditioning for every home.

Why are fans not enough?

Fans help many people feel cooler, but they do not cool the room. In very hot conditions, or for someone at higher risk, a fan may not be enough.

Would more air conditioning worsen climate change?

Air conditioning uses electricity, so the scheme should start with shading and ventilation and provide efficient equipment where those measures are not enough.

Should landlords fix overheating instead?

Excess heat can be a housing hazard. Emergency help should not let landlords off the hook: renters may also need repairs or changes to the building.

How could Liverpool deliver this?

Liverpool could add suitable cooling equipment to the help it already offers, take referrals from health and housing teams, decide urgent applications quickly during heat alerts, and publish what a pilot achieves.

What about electricity costs?

Portable air conditioning can cost much more to run than a fan. That is why help with a suitable unit should include limited support with electricity during heat alerts.

Need help now?

This website cannot provide cooling equipment or urgent medical help.

For other support, use the official services below. If someone is still unwell after 30 minutes in a cool place, or has signs of heatstroke such as confusion, a seizure or loss of consciousness, call 999.

Liverpool Citizens Support Scheme Liverpool Crisis and Resilience Fund NHS heat exhaustion and heatstroke guidance

Add your voice

Cooling is not a luxury when health is at risk.

Sign Rowan Victoria’s petition asking Liverpool City Council and the UK Government to include safe cooling in crisis support.

Sign the petition

Sources

Read the full reports.

Figures and links were last checked on 11 July 2026.

  1. UKHSA heat mortality monitoring, England 2025
  2. English Housing Survey: climate resilient homes, 2023–24
  3. Liverpool deprivation indicators
  4. UKHSA guidance on people vulnerable in hot weather
  5. Liverpool Crisis and Resilience Fund
  6. Climate Change Committee: A Well-Adapted UK, 2026
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