Beat the heat (without breaking the bank) this summer

by Erin Doye | 13 Aug, 2024 | Bills, Electricity & Gas

We’re celebrating that heatwave season has finally arrived in the UK, but trying to beat the heat can leave you with a scary electric bill.

While the hot weather will mean savings on heating, keeping your house cool can use just as much energy as keeping it warm. Below you’ll find our top tips for keeping your home temperature and energy bills low at the same time.

Heatwave Hacks

Positioning matters

Make sure to make the most of long daylight hours and avoid using electric lighting in your home before sunset. Setting up your desk next to a window will help you take advantage of sunlight well into the evening.

However, windows that face the sun will heat up quickly. Draw the curtains on your east and west-facing windows, and use north or south-facing windows for sunlight.

Solar devices

You can also take advantage of the sun in the form of solar power. Almost 1.4 million UK homes have solar panels installed, but if you’re not one of them solar outdoor lights can help you enjoy evenings in the garden without using extra electricity.

Cool down with a shower

Use the warm weather as an opportunity to take colder showers – not only will the water help you cool down but you’ll be saving on your heating bills.

Not a fan of this heat?

Air conditioners are expensive to install and run, especially considering there are only a few months a year when UK homes would use one. Did you know you can get a similar cooling effect from an electric fan? Put a bowl of ice in front of the blades to create a frosty breeze in the room while using much less electricity.

Learn the physics of airflow

Make sure to open windows in the evening when the outdoor temperature drops, and open the top part of the window or sash if you can. Hot air rises, so opening a higher window will pull the warmest air out of the room and replace it with cooler outside air for a free air-conditioning effect.

If you want to beat the heat, your fridge is your friend

When the weather is too hot to handle my fridge becomes my best friend. Just like with people, these appliances need a little extra attention when the weather is hot to perform at their best. The hotter it is outside the harder your fridge has to work to stay cool, venting more heat out the back and away from your food.

Don’t heat your fridge up

Make sure that the area behind and to the sides of your fridge is as clear as possible to help heat disperse and your fridge will stay cooler.

Your fridge and freezer are most efficient at keeping cool when they’re full, but that doesn’t mean you should waste money on filling it with food that will end up in the bin. Instead, fill glass jugs, jam jars or empty bottles with water and put these in empty spaces. Not only will the fridge use less power, but you’ll also have an unlimited supply of chilled water to cool off.

DIY cold pack

You can even turn a hot water bottle into a cold water bottle. Just fill a rubber water bottle with cool water and put it in your freezer – a few hours later you’ll have a handy ice pack for your neck or lap. Just be sure to only fill the bottle three-quarters of the way. Water expands when frozen, so any fuller and you may pop your water bottle.

Don’t be alarmed, but…

Leaving your fridge or freezer door open can quickly raise the temperature inside, requiring even more energy to bring it back down. A door alarm like this one from Fridggi lets you know when the door has been left open and helps you build more energy-efficient habits in the kitchen.

Thermostat hacks to tackle the heat

It seems obvious, but be sure to turn your thermostat right down if it is hot outside. Even if the weather is mild, for every degree below your normal level you turn the temperature down you could save up to 10% on your heating bill.

Time for an upgrade?

Smart or Programmable Thermostats are often promoted for the ways they can help heat your home, but the same technology can be used to make your cooling more efficient. If you have one of these smart devices you can set it to allow your home to heat up when no one is home to save energy, particularly if your household is usually at work or school during the hottest part of the day.

Again, positioning matters

Whether your thermostat is smart or not, you should also be aware of where in your home it is positioned. If your thermostat is close to any heat source it may get an artificially high-temperature reading, leading it to cool your home further than you need.

Money-smart laundering

Line-dry your laundry

In hot, breezy weather clothes will dry outside very quickly, whereas a tumble dryer or combined washer and dryer will not only use electricity but will also heat up your home while in use.

If you don’t have any outside space to line dry, try drying towels by hanging them out of windows or balconies. Heavy, absorbent items like towels need the most energy to dry, so using the power of the sun will save you the most on your bills.

Avoid running appliances in the heat

If you have to use an electric dryer, run it in the evening or at night. This will stop it from heating up your home during the hottest times of the day. If you have an economy 7 or 10 electricity tariff, your electricity will also be cheaper at night meaning more savings.

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen (literally)

Cooking will also heat up your home, so where possible avoid using your oven and hob to prepare food while it’s hot outside.

Cooking alternatives

Cold picnic dinners or cooking outside on a grill are classic options, and a propane or electric barbecue is likely to be cheaper to run than a coal or charcoal-fired option.

A slow cooker is a great way to still serve hot meals without raising the temperature outdoors. Not only are these devices so well insulated that they lose a tiny amount of heat to their surroundings, but most only use as much electricity as a typical light bulb.