Research has revealed that more than half of all homes in Britain now overheat during the summer. 

The increased heat across the country in recent years is creating an unsafe environment for many, with an estimated 2,985 heat-related deaths being recorded in 2022, which was the highest number in any given year.

Michael Wray, owner of National Insulation Supplies, has outlined the common mistakes people make when trying to cool down their homes and what they should do instead. 

You may think it’s logical to keep your windows and doors closed all the time to prevent hot air from entering your property, but this tactic can actually trap excessive heat inside your home.

It may mean getting up slightly earlier throughout the warm summer months, but it can prove extremely beneficial to take advantage of the cooler mornings and evenings by opening windows and doors to allow fresh air to circulate. If you open the windows on opposite sides of your property, then you can create something that is known as cross-ventilation to create a breeze that cools your home naturally. It’s important that you remember to close your windows and blinds during the hottest parts of the day, though, to keep the cool air in and the heat out.

Opening your windows in the early morning and evening and closing them during the intense heat of the day is a great method to keep your home cool, but you may undo your hard work if you leave your windows uncovered and allow the sun to heat up the inside of your home.

To combat this issue, use blinds, curtains, or reflective window films to block out the sun’s heat, while blackout curtains are particularly effective at keeping rooms cooler. During the day, it’s best to close curtains on south and west-facing windows to reduce the amount of heat entering your home.

Fans are one of the most common ways people try to stay cool in the summer, and they can be a very effective method, but people often use them incorrectly or leave them running in empty rooms.

Fans only cool people, not rooms. That’s because they just circulate air in a room and produce a pleasant breeze, unlike air conditioning that cools the air itself. Therefore, you need to ensure your fans are only on when you’re in the room to feel the breeze. Ceiling fans should also rotate anti-clockwise in the summer to create a wind-chill effect, and it’s definitely worth considering using window fans to draw in cooler air from outside or to expell hot air from the room.

Modern insulation is now really effective and while it’s designed to keep you warm in the winter, it’s also designed to keep you cool in the summer. As a result, having poor insulation and gaps around windows and doors can let cool air escape and hot air enter your property.

You may think investing in more advanced insulation is an unnecessary expense, but it’s essential that you ensure your home is well-insulated to keep cool air in and hot air out. Seal any gaps around windows and doors with weatherstripping or caulking, as this not only helps with cooling in the summer but also retains heat in the winter, improving the overall energy efficiency of your home and lowering your energy bills.

Using ovens, stoves, and other heat-generating appliances during the hottest part of the day can increase indoor temperatures and make your kitchen almost unbearably warm throughout the summer heatwaves.

All you need to do to avoid this issue is to cook meals either early in the morning or late in the evening when the temperature is much cooler. You can get around this by eating meals such as salads during the day, opting for slow cooker recipes that generate less heat or make the most of the barbecue and enjoy some al fresco dining. It can also be very beneficial to minimise the use of other heat-generating appliances, like dishwashers and tumble dryers, during the hottest part of the day.