Beat the heat this summer with top tips on staying cool without hiking up our energy bills.
If we live in the UK, we’re bound to start complaining about the weather sooner or later. And it’s no different in the summer. For some reason, 25C in the UK feels a lot hotter than 25C abroad. Taking the tube in those temperatures is not for the faint of heart.
Heatwaves are a newer occurrence in the UK and our buildings were created to retain heat during the colder months. That’s why even on a cool summer night, cracking a window just doesn’t cut it.
It may be tempting to crank the air conditioner all night – if we’re lucky enough to have one. Especially since this July, millions of households will pay less in energy bills as the energy cap falls by £122 a year. However, even with the lower prices, around 5.6 million households still remain in fuel poverty over the summer.
So how can we stay cool this summer without hiking up our energy bills?
- Keep curtains drawn during the day to keep the sunlight out
Since UK homes are not designed to withstand heat, it’s important to try cooling our houses during the day, especially between the hottest hours from 11am to 3pm. We may also want to keep our windows shut until night on extra hot days.
- Buy a fan
The price comparison site, Uswitch, says a standard air conditioner can cost around £42.14 a week if used nine hours a day. In comparison, a desktop fan costs just 55p for the same usage.
But don’t wait around. They can go out of stock in a wink of an eye. We can compare fan prices on Idealo and set our maximum price to our preference. Facebook marketplace is also great for buying second hand fans at a discount.
- Warm showers and hot drinks
This may seem even crazier than sleeping with clothing on, but taking a warm shower can reduce our body temperature. While a cold shower can make us feel better in the moment, our bodies try to keep as much heat as they can to regulate our temperature.
Instead, hot water helps stimulate circulation and decrease our body temperature. Same goes for drinking hot beverages. This is why many warm countries are famous for drinking hot tea throughout the summer months.
- Avoid sleeping in the nude
It might be tempting to take your clothes off when the heat gets unbearable. But wearing light and breathable pyjamas (especially cotton) can help absorb moisture and cool us down.
- Add some greenery
Having a few plants could reduce our indoor temperature by as much as 12 degrees! Like humans, plants “sweat” and the water released helps cool the surrounding environment. See which plants help us cool the most on housebeautiful.com.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
It’s hard to beat a nice cold beer on a hot summer day, but it is important to stay hydrated, no matter what. Drinks like alcohol and coffee are dehydrating and can leave us feeling overheated.
Carrying around a water bottle with us when we leave the house can make a world of a difference. That and making sure we eat hydrating and light foods like watermelon, cucumber, and soups.
Image: New Africa / Shutterstock
