Households across the UK are being urged to use a piece of A4 paper in their fridge this week. As the hot summer weather continues to blaze with temperatures forecast to hit 30C this Saturday, a lot of Brits may be caught out by the sweltering conditions and the knock-on effect on your home and its appliances which could end up costing you money.
One effect of the hot weather that you probably haven’t accounted for is the impact the baking conditions can have on your food and drink – and indeed your entire fridge. According to white goods manufacturer Beko, a common issue with your fridge could cause you to lose a lot of food in the hot temperatures, due to it going off early in the warmer conditions.
That’s because if your fridge is a few years old, there’s a good chance that the seal around the door is not working properly any more.
If that happens, not only will it increase your energy bills as your fridge works harder to keep food cold, but it will also cause damage to the fridge and can cause food to go off more quickly.
To check, all you need is a single sheet of A4 paper.
A spokesman for Beko said: “One issue that may arise with your fridge is wear and tear on the door seal. A worn-out door seal can prevent the refrigerator door from closing properly, causing the cooling system to work harder to keep your groceries fresh.
“This can lead to increased energy consumption and potential damage to your fridge and its temperature settings.
“Warm air entering your fridge can overwhelm the cooling system, especially during hot summer days.”
Salah Sun, Head of Product Management at Beko UK, said: “To check if your fridge door is functioning correctly, use a piece of paper. You can buy paper for as little as 1p or use any paper you have at home.
“Place the paper against the door seal and close the door. When you try to pull the paper out, you should feel some resistance. If the paper slides out easily, your door seal may need replacing.”
According to the Met Office, the hot weather will keep getting hotter and hotter this week. Temperatures will stay at 27C on Tuesday and Wednesday, rising to 28C by Friday and hitting peaks of 29C on Saturday, possibly even 30C in some parts of England.
The Met Office added in its forecast that “much of the UK will be in heatwave conditions by the coming weekend”.
It said: “Heat will build through the week. On Wednesday the highest temperatures values in the UK are expected to be around 27C. On Thursday this will rise to 29C and by Saturday increasing more locations will exceed heatwave values, with the highest temperatures expected to exceed 30C.”