Cooling Your Home: Practical Tips

🏡 Indoor cooling tips

• Focus on cooling one or two rooms you use most.
• Use lightweight sheets, cooling pillows, or a damp towel on your forehead.
• Place frozen water bottles or ice packs in front of a fan for a quick cooling boost.
• Close windows and blinds or curtains during the hottest part of the day to block out the sun.
• Open windows when the temperature is cooler, such as at night (if safe to do so). Try to open windows at either side of your home to create an airflow.
• Consider cooking when the temperatures are lower.

🌱 Energy-efficient cooling tips

• Improve insulation: Good insulation keeps heat out in summer and warmth in during winter.
• Switch to LED bulbs: They emit less heat and save energy.
• Cooler showers: A cool shower will help lower body temperature. This could help you to sleep better when temperatures are exceptionally hot.
• Check the thermostat: Turn down your thermostat to make sure your heating isn’t coming on.
• Save on bills: Turn off heat-generating appliances if they are not needed.
• Use extractor fans: Run them in kitchens and bathrooms to remove hot, humid air.

❤️‍🩹Health and safety in heat

• Avoid going out during the hottest hours.
• Wear light, loose clothing and apply sunscreen if outdoors.
• Check on vulnerable people (elderly, babies, those with health conditions).
• Know the signs of heat exhaustion (tiredness, dizziness, heavy sweating) and heatstroke (confusion, hot dry skin, rapid pulse). Heatstroke is an emergency—call 999.

🐾 Help your pets stay cool

• Give pets fresh water all the time.
• Keep them in the shade or indoors during the hottest part of the day.
• Never leave pets in a car—it can get deadly hot very quickly.
• Put a damp towel on the floor for them to lie on.