People with lung conditions at greater risk of harm from mould and damp due to above average rainfall

The spectre of rising energy bills prompted by the conflict in the Middle East means people with lung conditions already battling to heat their homes to prevent damp and mould may struggle further.

Almost a fifth of people with lung conditions have already told the charity that they can’t afford to keep their homes adequately warm.

Over two in five people with asthma reported that high energy costs had forced them to cut back on heating, increasing their risk of life-threatening asthma attacks.

Months of wet weather in the UK combined with the likelihood of increasing energy prices caused by the Middle East conflict could put the lives of millions of people with lung conditions at risk because of exposure to increased damp and mould in the home, warns a leading lung charity.

New data from the Met Office shows that rainfall this winter has been above the seasonal average for the last three decades in the majority of the country, which has created a perfect breeding ground for indoor mould and could be deadly for those with lung conditions.¹

The US-Israel war with Iran has also prompted fuel prices to rocket, meaning people with lung conditions already struggling to afford to keep their homes warm and prevent damp and mould could find it even harder.²

Mould usually appears as fuzzy black, white or green patches on the walls, ceiling or tiles and often smells damp and musty. It spreads via airborne spores to almost any organic surface with moisture, including walls, ceilings, furniture, carpets, fabric and wood and can be very difficult to get rid of. It thrives in damp conditions and can be dangerous for those with lung conditions such as asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), exacerbating symptoms like breathlessness, and leading to a potentially life-threatening asthma attack or COPD flare-up.

In Asthma + Lung UK’s most recent annual survey, a third of people with lung conditions (33%) said that mould and fungi were triggers for them, causing symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and breathlessness.³

Indoor mould tends to form and spread more during periods of persistent rain and high humidity, weather conditions that are set to continue in the coming weeks. The latest long-term forecast produced by the Met Office predicts there will be showers throughout March. ⁴

Wet weather causes an increase in the moisture levels inside homes, creating the ideal environment for harmful mould spores to germinate. One of the most important ways to prevent mould from spreading is to keep homes heated to at least 18 degrees, as inadequate heating creates a stagnant and humid environment for mould to grow and thrive.

But for many people struggling with the rising costs of living and fuel, this isn’t an option. Even before the recent spike in oil prices, 17% of people with lung conditions surveyed by Asthma + Lung UK said they couldn’t afford to keep their homes adequately warm, meaning they had no choice but to put their lives on the line simply because they couldn’t heat their homes.⁵

One in five people with asthma surveyed by the charity in 2022, when energy prices last peaked, said that they’d had an asthma attack because of price hikes and had also had to cut down on heating, food and medicine.⁶

With the escalating conflict in the Middle East now causing wholesale gas prices to spike once again, this will be a huge concern for those with lung conditions who need to keep their homes warm in order to stay well.

As part of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, Asthma + Lung UK is calling for the Government to swiftly implement its £15 billion Warm Homes plan, published in January this year. The plan promises to help upgrade millions of homes across the country, bringing down energy bills and ensuring homes are warm, dry and mould-free. In England alone, there are currently eight million people living in 3.7 million dangerous homes that are cold and in need of repair, conditions which can cause, and worsen, lung conditions such as asthma and COPD.⁷

These numbers are worryingly high, and Asthma + Lung UK is urging anyone with a lung condition to take precautions to protect their health over the next few weeks as the rain continues. The lung health charity is also calling on policymakers to think about how people at risk from harmful damp and mould can be protected if global instability translates into sustained higher energy prices.

Dr Andy Whittamore, Clinical Lead at Asthma + Lung UK, and a practicing GP, said: “Even before events in the Middle East raised the spectre of higher energy bills, we were already concerned about the wet weather increasing damp and mould and affecting people’s health. For the seven million people in the UK living with asthma and the three million people living with COPD, being exposed to a trigger like mould can bring on a potentially fatal asthma attack, or cause a COPD flare-up requiring hospitalisation.⁸ Studies have also shown that long term exposure to mould can bring on the development of asthma in previously healthy people, particularly children, as well as other lung conditions such as aspergillosis, a condition caused by breathing in aspergillus mould.⁹

“A damp and mouldy environment can also put people at greater risk of chest infections, colds, flu and rhinitis.”

Decoda Smith knows only too well how harmful mould can be. The 36-year-old mother-of-two has spent years living in mouldy rented properties and both she and her two daughters, Georgia, nine, and Anastasia, two, have asthma, which is exacerbated by their living conditions.

She said: “We have all been hospitalised with our asthma several times and I am coughing and wheezing constantly and have to use my reliever inhaler a lot more than I used to. I worry a lot about my daughters and their asthma, because I know the mould is making their conditions worse. Georgina often wakes up in the nighttime coughing and I’ve had to call an ambulance out for Anastasia three times in the last year alone.”

Decoda’s problems began in 2019 when she moved into a flat in Lambeth, London, with Georgina, then two. She said she was faced by a plethora of issues there, which included a faulty boiler, meaning she often had no heating or hot water, drainage issues and water leaks, all of which contributed to mould. 

“The flat constantly smelled of mould, which was everywhere and the air felt damp all the time because of the leaks and cold. Sometimes we’d have to sleep huddled up in the living room together just to try and stay dry and warm,” she explained.

In 2022, unable to cope any longer, Decoda moved out and sofa surfed at various friends’ and relatives’ homes, going back and forth from the flat to collect things she needed. In 2023 Anastasia was born, but in April 2024 things went from bad to worse when Decoda returned to the property to find it flooded in stinking raw sewage, making it completely unlivable. The family was eventually moved into another flat with the help of the local council.  

“My baby only knew sleeping on the sofa, ground, or a blow-up bed for the first few months of her life. We had to push to get somewhere else and were placed into a hotel for a while by the local authority. Then we were moved into another mouldy property where the smell of the place was terrible. I had to fight to move once more,” Decoda said.

“We are now in another flat, but mould has started growing here as well, around the windows and in the bathroom. I have complained to the landlord, but they just don’t do anything. It’s worse when it’s rained a lot as there’s a lot of condensation inside and the last few months have been quite bad.”

According to the Met Office this winter has been wetter than average across the UK, with the nation recording 13% more rainfall than the long-term meteorological average for the season.¹ In the next few weeks, there will be spells of rain and showers, most frequent and heavy in the west or northwest, and perhaps accompanied by strong winds.⁴

To help protect your home against the potentially harmful effects of mould and damp, Asthma + Lung UK has the following tips

1. Open windows and doors so air can move around. But be cautious during high pollution or high pollen days if these are triggers for you.  

2. Try to avoid drying clothes indoors. If you have no outside space to dry them, make sure the room is well-aired. 

3. Try to keep your home at a good background temperature, at least 18 degrees.  

4. Use extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom or open a window when cooking or after a shower to get rid of moisture in the air.  

5. Some people find that de-humidifiers help to dry the air and prevent damp and mould. But make sure you get the setting right as leaving the air too dry might make you cough.  

6. Know where your reliever inhaler is so you can take it quickly if you get symptoms and make sure you take your carry your reliever inhaler wherever you go. If you do need your reliever inhaler three or more times a week, see your GP or asthma nurse.

7. Use your preventer inhaler as prescribed and follow your asthma action plan.

ENDS

References

1. Dull and mild February brings wet winter to a close; www.metoffice.co.uk. Accessed 10 March 2026 here.
2. The Iran Conflict Is Sending Oil Prices Soaring, What Happens Next; www.csis.org. Accessed March 11 2026 here.
3. Figures from Asthma + Lung UK’s annual Life with a Lung Condition survey in the UK. 9387 people were asked if mould and fungi triggered their lung condition. The survey ran from January – March 2025:

4. Long-range forecast - Met Office

5. Figures from Asthma + Lung UK’s annual Life with a Lung Condition survey in the UK. 9387 people were         asked if they could afford to heat their homes adequately. The survey ran from January – March 2025:

6. Asthma + Lung UK Cost of Living Survey 2022. This survey received 3,657 responses in total, 2,820 from       people with asthma, and was open between 9 August and 26 August 2022.

 7. New Ageing Better Campaign Calls on Government to Halve Number of Unsafe Homes Within Next Decade to Improve Nation's Health; Centre for Aging Better website. Accessed February 27 2026 here.

 8. Thorax.bmj.com; Incidence and Prevalence of Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Interstitial Lung Disease Between 2004 and 2023: Harmonised Analyses of Longitudinal Cohorts across England, Wales, South-East Scotland and Northern Ireland. Accessed March 3 2026 here.

 9. Childhood Asthma and Mould in Homes—A Meta-Analysis; National Library of Medicine website. Accessed February 25 2026 here.