Poor indoor climate affects not only physical health but also mental well-being and can increase risk of depression.

Being exposed to the four indoor climate hazards; lack of daylight, damp and mould, noise and cold decreases life-satisfaction. Data reveals that a lack of heating has almost twice the impact on perceived well-being and life satisfaction as being separated from a partner.

It is found that Europeans living in homes with all four hazards are almost five times more likely to report feeling unhappy compared to people living with no risk factors. Consequently, eliminating these hazards could result in an economic benefit of almost €100 billion per year, in EU countries, in addition to energy efficiency improvements..

This type of assessment now allows to measure the value of a building renovation intervention in a more holistic way.