Close Curtains and Blinds
Closing your blinds, curtains and shutters during the day prevents direct sunlight and stops heat from accumulating indoors. Use lighter fabrics if possible, as thick materials can trap heat. Home experts at Country Living recommend doing this early in the day, and suggest using reflective surfaces such as window film, external foil screens or budget-friendly tin foil to bounce heat away.
Natural Ventilation
In the evening, typically after 8pm, open windows and doors to flush out hot air and let in cool air. Opening windows on opposite sides of the house creates a cross-breeze that helps lower temperatures further.
Make One Room Cool
The Red Cross advises keeping windows covered and shut, and closing doors to stop warm air entering. Focus cooling efforts on one or two rooms, and avoid rooms that are hard to keep cool, such as kitchens with heat from appliances or rooms with large windows where the sun shines. If using an electric fan, follow these tips from watchdog Which?:
- Don't turn it on unless you're in the room, as it wastes energy and doesn't cool your room.
- If it's colder outside than in, place your fan by your window. If it is hot, avoid placing fans near windows.
- If it is too hot, place a bowl or glass of ice under your fan to create a cooling effect.
