Energy firm British Gas is urging customers avoid eating in the kitchen as the UK is hit by a blistering heatwave. With the UK enjoying sizzling temperatures of up to 33C in parts of England and the rest of the UK this week, most of us are looking to any way we can to avoid making our already hot houses any warmer.
As well as all the usual advice about closing windows, shutting curtains and using cold drinks to keep cool, British Gas has a tip about how and where to eat to avoid warming your house. It told customers to stick to salad, or use a barbecue to cook outside instead of running a hot oven or hob on already hot evenings.
The energy firm said: “Eat meals outside. Using the oven or hob can create extra warmth so instead of unnecessarily heating up your kitchen, take advantage of warm summer evenings in the garden instead. Fire up the BBQ or throw together a healthy summer salad.”
Another tip is about the clothes you wear during the heat. Loose, light clothes are better, while a dehumidifier can also work to reduce temperature inside the air.
It added: “Wear loose, lightweight clothing made of natural fibres like cotton and linen. Use an icepack, chilled hot water bottle or cold cloth on your wrists and feet for an instant cold hit. And if it’s really stuffy inside, consider a dehumidifier. It’ll pull the moisture out of the air and let your skin breathe better.”
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tom Crabtree says about this week’s weather: “Warmth is the focus in the forecast in the first half of this week, with temperatures likely to peak on Tuesday around the mid-30s, but remaining above average in the second half of the week, particularly further to the southeast.
“The exception to the widely warm conditions will be northwest Scotland on Monday, where showers will be more frequent. Warmth will develop there from Tuesday with temperatures peaking in the mid to high 20s.”
