Met Office weather: 7 tip to keep homes cool as UK heatwave hits

The Met Office is urging Brits to take care this weekend ahead of a dangerous heatwave today and tomorrow.

Despite being a nation of sun seekers our homes are not necessarily geared up for such weather.

With summer upon us and the mercury rising, comparethemarket.com has shared its top tips on how to keep your house cool in the heat:

Cook outside

As if you didn’t already need an excuse for a barbecue, cooking outside is a great way of reducing trapped heat in the home.

Appliances such as hobs, ovens, and kettles produce a lot of heat. Try to cook outdoors on a barbecue or camping stove if you have one to reduce the need for excess heat indoors.

Indoor plants

Certain indoor plants can help to keep your home cool.

Plants keep themselves cool via transpiration, releasing water vapour when the surrounding atmosphere heats up to cool themselves and the air around them.

The best examples of plants most effective for this are aloe vera and snake plants, both of which have high water content.

Close off rooms

To keep the cool air in the rooms you use most, close the doors and windows.

If you have doors with gaps, especially those that lead outside, you could invest in insulation such as weather strips/seals which are an inexpensive option and, in most cases, you can put them on yourself.

During the evening reopen your windows in your bedroom for a breeze whilst you sleep.

Keep curtains and blinds closed

Try to get into the habit of closing your curtains and blinds during the day when the sun is at its hottest.

If windows in certain rooms catch a lot of direct sunlight, use dark or blackout curtains or blinds to prevent the rays from overheating your room.

If you’re handy with DIY, you could also opt for bubble wrap insulation which will help to temporarily block out the sunlight, increasing your windows' insulating properties by creating a layer of still, trapped air.

LED bulbs

LED bulbs use less electricity and, because they are highly efficient, less energy is transformed into heat so they’re a cooler option for the home.

External window shading

Another good tactic is to create shade outside of your windows, especially in your living room if you sit in there during the day.

If you love gardening, planting trees or high plants outside of the windows helps create shade and keep the space directly outside of the area cooler.

When plants lose water vapour, they often cool the air around them.

Turning off tech

Lots of electrical appliances such as televisions and chargers can produce a lot of wasted energy in the form of heat so, to tackle this, turn off unnecessary appliances.

If you have laundry to do, avoid the tumble dryer and make the most of the nice weather to hang out your clothes.