Summer finally hit the UK. I hate it when the house turns into an oven. Not being heat-tolerant works against me. I work from home, share the space with a pet, and sweating through the day isn’t a vibe.
Orientation and insulation matter, sure. But there’s no point complaining about your north-facing walls if you’re letting heat in the back door. I asked my friends—the ones whose houses stay blissfully cool while the rest of us melt—to tell me what they’re doing. Here is the stuff they actually use.
Fans that move air, not just noise
You need a fan. Not that cardboard box unit from 2014 that sounds like a jet engine but moves air like it’s apologizing for it. Upgrade it. Newer models oscillate better, sip less electricity, and push air in patterns that actually matter.
Moving air across your skin tricks your body. It makes you feel cooler even if the room temp doesn’t budge. Positioning is everything, though. Angle the thing to push hot air out the window. Or pull the cool night breeze in.
Curtains that actually block light
Thermal or blackout curtains aren’t just for keeping winter chill at bay. They block the sun’s thermal radiation before it touches your floorboards.
But you have to play timing. Leave windows wide open overnight. Let the house exhale the heat it gathered all day. Once the sun is up and the mercury climbs? Slam the curtains down. Before the sun streams through the glass again, trap that cool night air inside.
It sounds obvious. People still leave blinds up.
Shade for your walls
Big windows facing the garden mean views. They also mean free solar gain. Especially if that garden faces south. Your living room becomes a greenhouse by noon.
My friends plant defenses. Pergolas. Awings. Sun sails stretched over the patio doors. Fast-growing vines climbing up trellis frames near the glass.
It keeps the house cool without sealing you off from the view. It’s the difference between staring into a blinding glare and looking out into a shaded courtyard.
Kill the phantom heat
Vampire power is annoying for your bill. It’s worse for your temperature. Every appliance on standby emits a little heat. That TV? That printer? They’re tiny heaters working overtime to make your AC struggle.
Smart plugs fix this. Kill the power from your phone. Stop the heat leak.
If you must cook, skip the oven. The kitchen is already the hot zone. Use an air fryer instead. Less ambient heat. Less sweating over a lasagna that’s been cooking since breakfast.
Is your printer keeping you up at night? Probably not, but the heat is real.
The heavy lifter: AC
Let’s be real. If your home is consistently cool when the UK hits 30°C, you likely have air conditioning. Portable or built-in.
It’s the big gun. Portable units can be noisy, sure. And they cost money. But pre-cooling a bedroom before bed changes the quality of life entirely. It stops the night sweats. It lets you actually sleep.
Summer keeps getting hotter. The tools need to match the weather. What are you waiting for?
Does a portable unit work in your house? Probably. It might just be noisy enough to remind you that you chose this.
