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The Bank Holiday was one of the hottest in history and a clear sign that summer is on it's way! The focus has now shifted from keeping your home warm through the winter, to cool in the summer. Let's face it, nobody likes the feeling of being too hot to get things done or sweating in bed at night, unable to sleep, which becomes even more difficult when you're sharing it with someone else (be that a partner or you know...a cuddly toddler!)

Of course, summer is a great time for having fun with your kids, but if your children get too hot they can become agitated and grumpy, which puts a damper on even the most fun days out!

In many ways, we’re not really equipped for the heat we’re expecting this summer when compared to places like Spain and even France, who have measures in place to counteract the sizzling sun; such as shutters on the windows and air conditioning units installed in their homes. Here, the focus is much more on central heating than air conditioning, meaning a lot of us won’t quite know what to do with ourselves when the hot weather comes.

We all rush to the supermarket, picking up as many fans as possible but this is a very expensive way to keep cool. Here we've suggested a number of alternatives to help you save money in regard to keeping cool this summer.

1. TURN UP THE THERMOSTAT

If you do have air conditioning in your home, you might want to consider turning up the thermostat, as a lot of people set their air conditioning system so that when they walk into their home, it’s like walking into a fridge!

Indeed, the instinct when you’ve come from the hot outdoors is to blast cold air at yourself and turn the temperature down to its lowest setting. If you really do want a blast of cold air, a much cheaper and more energy efficient alternative is to jump in your car and turn the air conditioning onto max. There are many new Vauxhall vehicles that have great air conditioning and blast out the icy air you crave on a hot summer’s day.

2. MAKE USE OF A TIMER

If you do have an air conditioning system in your home, you’ll know the majority of modern thermostats come with a timer, which means you can set the cooling system to come on just before you get home. This way you’re not wasting electricity on keeping the house cool all day, when you’re not even at home!

3. LIMIT THE NUMBER OF ROOMS YOU COOL

There’s a good chance you only actually live in a few rooms of your house, or at least, spend 80% of your time in them. It’s sensible, therefore, to only cool the rooms you will actually be in; keep the doors closed to other rooms that are used less and you’ll see a huge saving in energy costs.

4. INSULATE

5. CHANGE YOUR BEDDING

The majority of us tend to get most hot in the night, so you’ll want to adapt your bedding to summer sheets rather than a thick winter duvet that will just make you sweat. Remember to swap over your children's bedding too and if you have a baby using a sleeping bag, it may be an idea to purchase one in a lower tog to keep them comfortable at night.

I hope you've found the tips useful! How do you keep your cool when the temperatures start to rise?

Megan x
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