Households across the UK are being urged to close their windows, as well as curtains and blinds, this Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 9.15pm. Temperatures had a bit of a dip over the past few weeks as the recent sunshine gave way to rain. But this week, a long five-day heatwave is set to kick off from 5am on Thursday and stay in place until it finally eases off on Tuesday.
The Met Office says temperatures will be 31C on Thursday and Friday, hitting 32C on Saturday, before dropping back to 31C on Sunday and 29C on Monday, before plunging to a comparatively cool 25C on Tuesday. Homes across much of England and Wales, in particular, will be baking hot as the sunshine warms up our well-insulated buildings built to withstand the cold British winters rather than 30C-plus summer sun for extended periods.
It means that households in England are being urged to take steps to keep their house cool in the sunshine.
And one way of doing so is to close windows and curtains or blinds when the sun is shining, conditions, and tactically open windows in shaded areas and open all your windows again in the evening, when the sun has set and temperatures outside are lower.
This week, the sun is rising at about 4.55am on average (though this time changes a few minutes depending on whether you’re on the south coast of England or the northern peak of Scotland), and setting at about 9.15pm.
While you probably won’t get up at 5am, you should close windows that face the sun as soon as you get up, and then reopen them once the sun has set, according to experts. You can also leave open windows in the day if they are in the shade or not facing the sun.
Energy firm OVO says: “Tempting as it is to fling open the windows at the first sign of summer, it’s not actually the best idea. To keep your house cool, you need to keep the hot air out.
“This means keeping windows closed during the day – particularly south-facing windows. Keep curtains, blinds and windows shut when the sun is shining directly on them, and when you’re out. Try opening windows on the most shaded side of your home, to avoid sunlight and hot air getting in.”
According to the advice from heating professionals at BOXT, opening windows when the sun is out actually risks warming your home up.
Andy Kerr, the founder of BOXT, explains: “Getting rid of unwanted heat in your home can be difficult in the summer months, especially when most UK properties are built to retain heat. While grabbing a fan or opening up all your windows are often mentioned as effective ways to cool your home, these methods may not result in the desired results.”
He added: “To help homeowners keep cool as the warmer months approach, we have revealed which common home cooling hacks are myths and why they don’t work so you can avoid them this summer.
“When temperatures are particularly warm, opening up all your windows will let more hot air into your home, heating up your home and making you feel warmer.
“Instead of opening all your windows, it is much better to strategically open windows to create cross breezes throughout the day and open your windows during the night to let cooler air in.”
