Of all the 29 hazards included in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System(HHSRS) checklist, excess cold is generally the highest scoring - a Category 1 hazard.

The reason this hazard is taken so seriously is the risk of hypothermia, which can often result in death in the over 65s.

Heating installation

While it may not always be possible to upgrade the thermal insulation of a property, it is possible to ensure the heating installation is adequate to fully heat the property.

Portable heating appliances are not acceptable and fixed heating, either gas central heating or electric night storage heaters/panel radiators, should be installed by a suitably qualified person and be specifically designed for the property.

The HHSRS assessment

When carrying out the HHSRS assessment, the following items are taken into consideration:

• thermal insulation, inadequate insulation of the external envelope of the dwelling, including the presence of cold bridges
• dampness, in such a position and sufficiently extensive and persistent as to reduce the effectiveness of the thermal insulating material and/or the structure
• settling of insulation, compression of the thermal insulating material reducing its effectiveness
• type of heating provision, inappropriate or inefficient systems and appliances
• size of heating system, systems and appliances inadequate for the size of dwelling
• installation and maintenance of heating system, inadequately installed or maintained systems
• controls to heating system, inadequate or inappropriate controls to the system or appliance
• amount of ventilation, inadequate, excessive or inappropriate provision for thorough ventilation
• ventilation controls, inadequate means of controlling the ventilation
• disrepair to ventilation, to the system or controls
• draughts, uncontrollable draughts and those situated to cause discomfort.