How to keep your house cool during a heatwave
Britain isn't renowned for having reliably hot summers – but the odd heatwave does happen and, when it hits, most of us are reminded that are homes are very much built to lock heat in, and cooling off can prove difficult.
But there are things you can do encourage air flow and reduce temperatures indoors.
Here, Telegraph Money shares cooling tips to take the heat out of your home.
Batten down the hatches
As much as you might love sunlight streaming in through the windows, in high temperatures you need to keep the heat out by closing your shutters, curtains and blinds.
Rooms with south-facing windows will likely get the hottest, so you might want to snap up a purpose-built window shade as shelter from the beating sun.
You could also consider installing reflective window film, which is designed to reduce excess heat, glare and UV rays. It's possible to buy some rolls of film and stick it on yourself, but if you've got large hard-to-reach windows it might make more sense to get a trader to install it for you.
Does opening your windows actually help?
While it's a good idea to lock warm air out during the day, opening your windows when it's cooler can help flush hot air out of the property.
But you'll need to be selective about which windows you open, and when. Opening windows on opposite walls, or at opposite ends of the house will allow air to flow through the house, creating a cross-breeze.
Timing wise, open windows at night and early in the morning when it's cooler outside, and then close them during the rest of the day. You'll trap the cooler air inside, letting it circulate without escaping.
How effective are fans?
Getting a fan is perhaps one of the more obvious tips, but you might not be using your fan in the optimum way.
Since fans only circulate the air, rather than cool it, you'll want to target the coolest air in your home and get it circulating to cool you down. As heat rises, the coolest air in your house is going to be at floor level, so set your fan on the ground floor and point it upwards.
Another great technique is to find the coolest room in your house and angle your fan from there to the warmest room. This should help push the hot air out and let the cooler air circulate.
Even better, place a shallow container full of ice in front of your fan so you can benefit from an icy-cool breeze.
A desktop fan starts from around £20, with a huge range of shapes, sizes and prices depending on where you want the fan to be, and what your budget is.
If you're really splashing out you can plump for a Dyson Hot+Cool Purifying Fan Heater that can be used for heating as well as cooling. At the same time, it will purify the air by filtering out pollutants, and costs £699.
As for the effect having a fan running will have on your energy bill, the good news is they are usually very cheap to run. Price comparison website uSwitch, estimates a basic desktop fan costs just 74p to run for a week based on nine hours of use a day – but larger fans will likely cost a bit more.
Have a light bulb moment
Some older style light bulbs give out heat, which will be unwelcome in an already baking hot room.
Therefore, switching your bulb to an LED alternative can cut down on the amount of heat being pumped into the room, and they also use less energy, which is good news for your bills, too.
Consider investing in air conditioning
The ultimate way to keep your house cool is to have air conditioning installed. You could just have it in the rooms you need it most rather than all over the house.
This might be a lifeline if you have a home office in the attic, or for those who have bedrooms with south-facing windows.
The average cost to install air conditioning in a small home office is £1,750-£3,000, and in a double bedroom you might pay between £2,250-£3,000, according to tradesperson directory Checkatrade.
It can also add a large chunk to your energy bill, with uSwitch figures estimating that a built-in model uses 2.7kilowatts of power an hour, working out to £56.76 a week based on nine hours of use a day.
Switch your bedding
Hot rooms can seriously impact on your sleep, but you can switch your bedding to help keep cool at night.
Temperature regulating bedding is made from more breathable fabrics, which claim to draw away body heat to help you keep cool.
Nicola Waller, partner and home furnishings buyer at John Lewis said: 'Specialist temperature regulating bedding will help you out during the hot summer months, and will even be beneficial as the temperature drops in the autumn. The bedding helps wick away moisture and responds to your body temperature.'
Use the fridge to aid sleep
To get some cool before you go to sleep, put your pillowcases in the fridge and slip them on your pillows just before you turn in.
The Sleep Charity also recommends chilling a pair of socks in the fridge before bedtime, as getting them to cool your feet will help to lower your core body temperature.
Alternatively, you could use frozen cooling blocks from picnic sets to cool down your mattress or pillows before you get into bed.
Insulate your home
Insulation is just as important for keeping homes cool in hot weather during summer as it is for keeping heat in during winter. It will also help any cooling systems to work more efficiently by keeping the cool air from escaping your home. Crucially, this will also save your money in the long run.
1306 heatwaves
Loft insulation is usually the most affordable place to start, and usually costs between £400 and £1,200 for the average house.
As a lower maintenance alternative you could try a draught excluder and inexpensive foam tape around doors to help keep cold air in and warm air out.
Avoid using the oven
Ovens generate a lot of heat, and stay warm for a long time after cooking, meaning you could have a lot of warm air spreading from your kitchen throughout the house.
To cut down on heat from cooking affecting the air temperature, try to cook on the hobs, use the microwave, or even on the barbecue in the garden. If you have an air fryer, that could also provide a cooler alternative. And it should go without saying – turn the Aga off.
Cool yourself
You can complement your heat-banishing efforts around the home by wearing loose, lightweight clothing made of natural fibres, like cotton and linen.
Use an icepack, chilled hot water bottle or cold cloth on your wrists and feet to cool your skin, and drink plenty of water.
You can also try taking a cold shower before bed – or whenever you need to cool down fast.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Britain swelters on hottest day of the year as temperatures soar towards 34C and experts say 600 will die in roasting heatwave
Sunglasses, sun cream and umbrellas are out in full force today, as sweltering Brits continue to be gripped by blistering weather as the temperatures continue to soar. Today has become the hottest day of the year so far with parts of eastern England set to be basking in sizzling temperatures of 34C. But it's not all sunshine and smiles as an amber heat-health alert has been issued for the whole weekend across England, as experts warn nearly 600 people in England and Wales could die in upcoming heatwaves. Parts of England and Wales experienced heatwaves yesterday, while Northern Ireland its warmest June night on record with temperatures staying above 18.2C until Saturday morning, the Met Office said. Elsewhere in London, terrified passengers were stuck in heatwave hell as customers said they felt like they were being 'slow cooked' in 'an oven' when services came to a halt with no air conditioning or ventilation. Early this morning, large crowds gathered at Stonehenge for the annual summer solstice, with temperatures soaring 18C by 5am for those observing the annual spectacle. But ice-cream and hot weather aren't the only items on the menu, as stormy weather threatens to put a screeching halt to the sweltering sunshine with a yellow thunderstorm warning on the horizon. Northern England, from Nottingham to above Newcastle, have been issued a yellow thunderstorm warning, which will come into force from 5pm until 3am tomorrow. The Met Office warned the most intense storms could produce 'frequent lightning, large hail and gusty winds', along with a chance of flooding. Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: 'There are scattered thunderstorms coming through. 'Some of the rain could be quite intense, and frequent lightning, hail, gusty winds and some heavy downpours, which we haven't seen for a while. 'Some of the ground is quite hard at the moment, and when you get heavy rain hitting hard ground, it can cause surface water issues. 'You might find surface water on the roads, drains finding it difficult to cope and a small chance of homes being flooded.' An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK. It comes after the Met Office confirmed that 'many places' in England and 'one or two areas' in Wales, including Cardiff, entered a heatwave on Friday. Aidan McGovern, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'At the moment, the temperatures will be highest towards the east, [with] lower temperatures in the west compared with Friday but still high humidity. 'So, it's going to feel oppressive in many places, and [there is] always a chance of some showers developing as the day progresses, particularly towards the west. 'Temperatures [will be] peaking at 31 to 33, or 34C, somewhere between London and Midlands and north-east England.' There will also be very high UV and pollen levels across the country on Saturday, the forecaster said. The Met Office also warned of more of heavy downpour battering parts of the country later this evening. Ellie Glaisyer, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'We do have a yellow warning in place for thunderstorms for the very far north of Wales, northern parts of England and in the very south east of Scotland. 'That warning is in place from 5pm this evening until 3am tomorrow. We could see around 30 to 40mm of rain falling in a couple of hours as well as some strong winds. 'These could be around 40 to 55 mph and some frequent lighting and large hail could be experienced in that warning area. 'There is a chance we could see some heavier downpour elsewhere, particularly across the south east of England in the early hours of the morning and in the north west of the country.' BERKSHIRE: Two kayakers stop off at Whiitington's Tea Barge to buy cans of beer on a hot and humid afternoon The forecaster also added there could be 'the odd rumble of thunder' across the north and west of the country. Ms Glaisyer added: 'Generally tomorrow it'll be a lot fresher with temperatures much closer to average. 'The south east will still hold onto those warm temperatures for a little while longer and into next week.' It comes as nearly 600 people in England and Wales are predicted to die as a result of this week's heatwave, researchers found. Experts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London used decades of UK data to predict excess mortality during the hot temperatures from Thursday to Sunday. Their study, released on last week, forecasts that around 570 people will die because of the heat over the four days, with the excess deaths estimated to peak at 266 on Saturday when the heat will be at its most intense. London is predicted to have the greatest number of excess deaths with 129, as researchers say their assessment highlights how extreme heat poses a growing threat to public health in the UK. A amber heat-health alert was issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023, and is currently in force until 9am on Monday. It warns 'significant impacts are likely' across health and social care services because of high temperatures, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions. Following the hot weather, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) urged the public to take heat and water safety seriously. During 2022's heatwave, temperatures rose past 40C, leading to 320 people being treated in hospital. Steve Cole, policy director at RoSPA, said: 'Heat is no longer just a holiday perk - it's a growing public health risk. 'We're seeing more frequent and intense heatwaves, both in the UK and globally, and the data shows a clear rise in heat-related illness and fatalities. 'Warm weather can also be deceptive when it comes to going for a dip. 'While the air may feel hot, water temperatures often remain dangerously cold, which can lead to cold-water shock, even in summer.' Previously, World Weather Attribution (WWA) research group released a study which found a heatwave was about 100 times more likely and 2-4C hotter due to climate change. Dr Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, lecturer at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, said: 'Heatwaves are silent killers - people who lose their lives in them typically have pre-existing health conditions and rarely have heat listed as a contributing cause of death. 'This real-time analysis reveals the hidden toll of heatwaves and we want it to help raise the alarm. 'Heatwaves are an underappreciated threat in the UK and they're becoming more dangerous with climate change.' It comes after temperatures reached 32.2C in Kew, west London, on Thursday, making it the warmest day of the year so far, while Friday saw highs of 30.8C recorded in both England and Wales.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Amber heat-health warning as UK hits hottest day of the year so far
The UK recorded its new hottest day of the year on Saturday, with temperatures reaching 33.2C in Charlwood, Surrey, following an official heatwave declaration across England and Wales. An amber heat-health warning issued by the UK Health Security Agency remains in place for all regions of England until Monday morning, anticipating significant impacts on health and social care services and a potential rise in deaths. This marks the first time the amber heat-health alert has been issued since September 2023, underscoring the severity of the current heatwave conditions. Alongside the high temperatures, scattered thunderstorms are forecast for northern England, with a yellow warning for potential lightning, large hail, gusty winds, and localized flooding. While western parts of the UK will experience fresher conditions, the east is expected to remain very warm and humid, with temperatures across the country returning closer to seasonal averages by Monday.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
UK records new hottest day of year so far as temperatures soar in heatwave
The UK has recorded a new hottest day of the year so far as temperatures soar amid a heatwave. The Met Office said was a provisional temperature of 33.2C had been measured in Charlwood, Surrey on Saturday. The new high comes after Thursday saw the mercury hit 32.2C in Kew, west London – the previous hottest day of 2025 so far – as the country sweltered under an amber heat-health alert. On Friday, a temperature of 30.8C was reached, triggering an official heatwave across England and Wales after three consecutive days of hot weather. The amber heat-health warning from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), covering all regions of England, remains in place until 9am on Monday. The alert, issued for the first time since September 2023, warns 'significant impacts are likely' across health and social care services because of high temperatures, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions. Meanwhile, the Met Office said scattered thunderstorms are set to mix with the continued high temperatures, potentially bringing 'frequent lightning, large hail and gusty winds', along with a chance of flooding. The yellow thunderstorm weather warning covering all of northern England, from Nottingham up to above Newcastle, is in force from 3pm on Saturday until 4am the following day.
