Us Brits are an odd bunch. We long for sun for the majority of the year, which is spent in gloom and despair, but as soon as it’s T-shirt weather, we’re moaning that it’s too hot.
The current heatwave gripping the UK has rather changed that flippant perception, don’t you think? With record breaking temperatures this week predicted to cause carnage across the country and concern about the growing climate catastrophe, we’re suddenly realising that the UK simply isn’t well-equipped for extreme weather.
Aside from the melting railway tracks, this is perhaps most keenly felt in our homes, which are neither very good at keeping heat in or out. If you’re looking to make sure yours is hospitable the next time the mercury is tested, then here are 8 ways to keep your home cool this summer.
Improve Energy Efficiency
To keep your home cool, you first need to keep the hot air out. Whilst it’s more common to associate triple-glazed windows, improved insulation and sealing the cracks around windows and doors with keeping the warm air in during winter, these changes can also help keep your home cooler in summer.
Not only do these home improvements keep the sun out during a heatwave, but they’ll also reduce your property’s carbon footprint, which feels pretty pressing right about now. Check out our guide to some simple hacks to make your home more energy efficient here.
Windows & Window Coverings
Speaking of windows, and while it may be tempting to open them as wide as they can go when it’s hot outside, this isn’t actually advisable if you’re trying to keep temperatures down. If the temperature outside your home is warmer than inside, opening the windows will only let hot air in, making your home an even more uncomfortable environment to spend time in.
If you have south-facing windows, in particular, it’s important to block any direct sunlight that tries to shine its way through during the day. We’re not saying cultivate a crack den energy and spend your days in the dark – natural light is a wonderful thing, of course – but it’s wise to keep your windows shut and curtains or blinds firmly drawn unless you want to end up sleeping in a sauna by the time it reaches the end of the day!
Direct sunlight that’s left to stream into a room might look gorgeous, sure, but it can hugely increase the temperature and even cause your home’s furnishings to fade in colour. If you’re keen on managing the amount of light you let in with precision, then made to measure window shutters are a wise investment.
If there is a slight breeze in the air on a hot day and opening a window seems like a good option, try to make sure windows are open at opposite ends of the house so the air can circulate through your home and cause a nice cooling draft.
Finally, open your windows before you go to bed to make the most of the natural drop in temperature at night time.
Skylights & Ventilation
If you’ve got a flat-roofed kitchen extension – and given the number built in the UK over the last decade, there’s half a chance you have – you’re probably familiar with the greenhouse effect it produces in summer. All that roof space soaking up direct sun, nowhere for the heat to go, and suddenly the room you extended to enjoy is the one you’re avoiding.
A ventilating skylight can change the indoor climate of that kind of space dramatically. Hot air rises, and a skylight that opens at the highest point of a room gives it somewhere to go, creating a natural chimney effect that draws cooler air up from below and pushes the warm stuff out. It’s passive, silent, and unlike a fan or portable AC unit, costs nothing to run once it’s in.
The key word is ventilating. A fixed pane will give you light but won’t do anything for airflow or temperature control. If you’re considering the investment, buy flat roof skylights from a reputable supplier and make sure the model you’re choosing actually opens. Paired with the cross-ventilation trick mentioned above — windows open at opposite ends of the house — a well-placed rooflight can meaningfully improve how your home handles heat without adding to your energy bills.
Fan Out
If an AC unit is a little out of your price range for the time being, then keep cool with a fan. A ceiling fan is, of course, functional, moving air around the room and making things less stuffy, as well as offering a cooling breeze on warmer nights. But it also brings tropical chic to a room in both its appearance and sound. What’s more, if you’re struggling to sleep in summer, the hypnotic groove can help lull you off into slumber. Many ceiling fans also double up as lights.
Electric fans come in all sorts of shapes these days; consider a desk/table fan which are designed for personal cooling and are ideal for sitting atop a desk or table top. Pedestal fans, which sit on an adjustable stand are great for circulating air throughout the room. Or, tower fans are perfect for small rooms as they have tall narrow bodies.
Moreover, they typically have more features than other types of fans and do a better job of cooling down the entire room. They do, however, have a higher price tag to match.
Breathable Bedding
There’s nothing worse than getting into bed and immediately feeling sticky and stressed about getting to sleep in the heat. While a fan can definitely help, you don’t want to become reliant on one being switched on all night as this can cause coughs to occur and will ramp up your electricity bills, too.
Getting some summer bedding can be a huge help and stop you from dreading bedtime and the restless slog before eventual, snatched sleep. Think cotton, linen and other similar breathable fabrics that are naturally drier and cooler on the skin. A high-thread-count might look good but when it comes to getting in bed when it’s hot, but you want a low-thread count and your fabric to be as thin as possible for cook, comfortable sleep.
Summer Cooking
When it comes to cooking in the summer months, the types of meals you eat can have an effect on the temperature of your home and cause the environment to heat up for a number of hours if you’re slow roasting or doing lots of stovetop cooking.
To avoid overheating, adapt your cooking for the summer months and opt for lighter meals that don’t involve using the oven. Instead of the usual Sunday roast, why not put the effort into a delicious summer barbecue or even a fresh salad? The lighter meals will have you feeling lighter on your feet, too.
Insulation
Wall and loft insulation is most commonly associated with keeping our homes warm during the winter and preventing hot air from escaping, but actually, it plays a key role during hot summers too.
Insulation can help to keep the hot air out and allow you to cool your house down as much as is possible. Sometimes during particularly warm spells during the Great British Summer, we realise our homes aren’t as well equipped as we’d like to deal with the heat. Insulation is one way of mitigating this.
Lighting & Appliances
You might not realise it, but your electrical appliances and the lighting around your home can give off a significant amount of heat. Try to only use lights when necessary and always turn them off when you’re out of the house or in the garden to save energy but also reduce the amount of heat energy produced. On top of this, be aware of which appliances are switched on. Even charging your phone overnight can cause the temperature in your room to increase making it worth keeping your electrical usage in mind.
The Bottom Line
The UK’s housing stock was built to keep warmth in, not out, and every heatwave makes that more obvious. The good news is that most of the fixes here are straightforward, affordable, and don’t require ripping your home apart.
A few smart changes to how you manage airflow, light and insulation can make a real difference to how comfortable your home feels when the temperature climbs, and given the direction things are heading, that’s an investment worth making sooner rather than later.
