Households across the UK are being urged to use a piece of A4 paper in their fridge’s freezer compartment this week. As the hot summer weather continues to blaze with temperatures forecast to soar as high as 34C by the weekend, 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 temperatures can have on your food and drink – and indeed your entire freezer. According to white goods manufacturer Beko, a common issue with your fridge’s freezer 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 either on the chilled fridge section or the freezer compartment.
If that happens, not only will it increase your energy bills as your fridge and freezer work 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. Many kitchen fridges these days are fridge/freezer combi appliances, and will have sections for both fridge and freezer that need to be kept sealed tight to make sure your food is protected from the hot weather.
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.”
A freezer with a faulty or loose seal can also stop working properly due to a build up of excessive ice.
Beko says: “Excessive ice acts as an insulator in a freezer, meaning your appliance needs to work harder to keep your food cold. As a result, the lifespan of your appliance may be reduced and your energy bills will increase.”
Salah Sun, Head of Product Management at Beko UK, said: “To check if your 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 and hit heatwave conditions by the weekend. Temperatures will rise to 28C by Friday and hit peaks of 34C on Saturday, with heat carrying over into 29C conditions on Sunday.
The Met Office added in its forecast: “Temperatures across the UK will continue to rise today, with the highest temperatures forecast on Saturday when 34°C could be reached in eastern England.
“Friday will be another warm day, with highs of 32°C possible in central England. High cloud will move into the southwest of England. Some isolated showers and thunderstorms could move into western parts of the UK, and develop elsewhere in northern Scotland and northeast England by the afternoon. Further isolated thunderstorms will move into the far southwest overnight.
Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Dan Holley, said: “The highest temperatures from this hot spell are forecast for Saturday, with low 30s Celsius fairly widely across England, and up to 34°C possible in eastern areas. Despite this, the more uncomfortable heat will be in northern and western areas initially, where despite somewhat lower temperatures the air will be more humid.”