This summer we experienced the hottest day on record in the UK. With our homes built to retain the heat with thick carpets and some properties already well-insulated, keeping cool during the hotter months of the year can be challenging. With even more hot weather on its way, here are some of our top tips on how you can stay cool.
Many people think that turning their fans on will use too much energy and cause their bills to rise, especially during the current cost of living and energy crisis.
The truth is that the average fan only costs around 3p an hour to run, using less than 100 watts of energy.
Place your fan by a window to allow it to use cooler air from the outside.
Place a bowl of cold water with ice, or a frozen water bottle in front of your fan to circulate cooler air around your house.
Doing either of these, especially by windows with a lot of airflow coming through will cool down the temperature of your house far more than you would think. Bowls of cold water cool down the air around your house.
By filling it with cold water and leaving it in the freezer for a few hours before bedtime, you can use it to cool down your bed and yourself for a good night’s sleep.
This is traditionally done in hot countries such as Spain. The sun shines mostly from the south, so by taking these actions you shield your house from heating up, especially during the hottest hours of the day such as lunchtime.
Hot air rises, so working or resting is best downstairs where it’s cooler. North-facing rooms also tend to be cooler.
Open windows or turn on the extractor fan if you use appliances such as the cooker or hobs for long periods.
Doing this before you go to bed can cool you down for a good night’s sleep. Make sure to put them in plastic bags before you do this – you don’t want to get any ice cream on your bedding! This trick may not last long but gets the job done.
You can place them on the back of your neck while going about your day.
Try to also use natural fibers such as cotton or wool. These are more breathable than synthetic materials.
Both of these are significant factors when saving energy and keeping warm, but also for keeping out the heat in the summer.
If you’re working from home this can be a great way to cool down.
This cools down your body temperature in time for bed. Avoid doing this straight after coming in from intense heat as a sudden change in body temperature can be dangerous.
All light bulbs emit heat. Try to avoid using them during the day.
