Report finds high risk of heat stress among lower-income Australians

With data from more than 2,600 respondents across 766 postcodes, the report highlights the serious physical and mental health impacts of staying cool for many Australians amid rising costs.

The survey covered the 2025/26 summer. Sweltering Cities says 68% of all respondents reported feeling unwell due to heat at some point during the reporting period. The research shows that those who were already struggling with the cost of living were more likely to feel the ill-effects of heat, with 81% of renters and 87% of people living with disabilities suffering from heat-related illness.

Key findings from the report include:

• 61% of respondents say cost-of-living pressures directly impacted how they managed the heat. Nearly two-thirds of Australians (61%) admitted they ration air conditioning due to concerns about cost.
• 24% of people reported being concerned about energy costs on a daily basis, adding a significant mental burden to the health risks of extreme heat.
• 82% of people with disabilities said cost-of-living stress impacted their ability to manage heatwaves, with 39% worrying about energy costs every single day.
• 43% of people are being impacted by heat at work or school, yet nearly 40% say their employers or institutions are failing to do enough to keep them safe.

Sweltering Cities Executive Director Emma Bacon says the study shows a direct correlation between financial stress and health risks from excess heat.

“We have just experienced another summer where millions of Australians were trapped in hot homes, baking suburbs, and dangerous workplaces,” Bacon says. “The data shows that cost-of-living and housing pressures are pushing people into dangerous heat, and the health consequences are severe.”

“When people are forced to choose between a power bill and their own safety, they get sick. Staying cool in a heatwave shouldn’t be a luxury, it’s a necessity for survival.”

Sweltering Cities has published annual summer surveys in recent years, as have other NGOs such as the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS). According to Bacon, the results paint a consistent picture over many years: staying cool is vital for health.

“These results add to a mountain of evidence showing that climate change is a public health crisis happening right now,” she says. “We don’t need more strategies that look good on paper; we need action now to make our homes, workplaces, and energy systems safe for everyone as temperatures continue to rise.”

In a media release, Sweltering Cities called for the following urgent policy changes:

• Federal and state regulations for heat safety in all workplaces and schools.ost content goes here
• Mandatory heat safety and cooling standards for all rental properties
• Access to clean, affordable energy for renters, low-income households, and people experiencing energy stress.

Image courtesy of Renata Hamuda via Freepik

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