5 renter-friendly ways to stop your flat turning into a greenhouse in the next UK heatwave
Summer heatwaves don't have to equal pain
For anyone who lives in the UK, and especially London, the last few weeks have been... hard. Temperature records have been broken, flats and people are overheated, and the less said about the Tube, the better.
In countries across Europe that are not well-equipped to deal with extreme heat for days or weeks on end, including a general lack of air conditioning in many homes, breaking into the 30s is tough. But that doesn't mean there aren't some effective steps you can take. Even in a new-build block of flats like mine, simple changes can help keep average temperatures down, making life more bearable.
With more and more extreme weather and hotter summers on the horizon in the years to come, getting your home prepared for it now is a good idea. We aren't just talking about buying the best fan or a portable AC unit, either, but changes that anyone can make in rented flats, council houses, or anywhere else that you call home.
Of course, a good fan still makes a big difference, but today, I'm taking a look at five simple things that will make the next heatwave a breeze.
Install no-drill external shade
One of the fundamental problems in a heatwave, especially if your building is east or south-facing, is that once the sun comes in, there's no going back – the damage has been done.
In my flat, we get direct sun from around 6am until midday, and the solar effect raises temperature by four to five degrees at a minimum in the summer. (The flip side is that, in the winter, morning sun is lovely.)
Stopping the sun is, of course, a very tricky problem, and to do so I've turned to a retractable awning, which sits on tension poles on my balcony. The model I use is from VOUNOT on Amazon, but there are plenty of options at places like B&Q and The Range, depending on your exact needs.
For renters like me, look for retractable, weighted, tension-mounted, clamp-mounted, or balcony-rail-mounted options rather than drilling into brickwork. I went for a vertical awning to cover the most glass.
You might need permission from your landlord, freeholder, or managing agent, but the footprint is minimal and there’s no drilling into the structure. Just make sure you don't leave it up in high winds or block a fire escape.
Cutting out the powerful morning sun has made a huge difference and regularly keeps my flat cooler further into the day.
Add temporary window coverings
But what about people who live in buildings without a balcony or outside space to put up an awning? Fear not, there are some pretty good options.
Suction-cup blackout blinds, thermal curtains on tension rods, removable reflective film, static-cling solar film, or even temporary foil-style emergency hacks can all work.
While these are not as effective as stopping the sun from getting inside the glass, they are much easier to implement and can be nearly as effective. Like in southern Europe, sun-facing rooms should be "shut down" during the day: the darker the room, the less solar energy is getting in. When temperatures are cooler, or the sun has moved on, slowly re-open the room to daylight.
Use your windows properly
During a heatwave, changing your behaviour can be just as important as having the right gadgets and gizmos like a portable AC unit.
To help monitor your space, get a simple indoor/outdoor thermometer or smart temperature sensor for accurate readings on how hot your room is compared to the outside world.
If it’s 29°C inside and 32°C outside in the mid-morning, opening the doors may feel intuitive but can make things worse. If it’s 28°C inside and 23°C outside at 9pm, that’s your chance to flush the flat.
Keeping on top of this is especially useful for flats with one main exposure, east or west-facing glazing, poor cross-ventilation, or ground-floor security concerns.
Using your windows and blinds to shut out the heat is just as important as ventilating the flat and could be make a few degrees difference on really scorching days.
Position fans strategically
A good fan like the MeacoFan Sefte or the Dyson Pure Cool can make a heatwave much more manageable, but where you put it matters.
A fan doesn’t cool a room like air con; it cools you by moving air over your skin and can help shift cooler air through the flat at the right time.
In broad terms, aim the fan across the room, towards a wall or ceiling for circulation, or near a window when outside air is cooler, like in the evening. Avoid pulling hot daytime air into the flat, which likely means keeping fans away from open windows or doors during especially hot weather.
For small flats, an air circulator can be better than a huge pedestal fan because it moves air around awkward rooms without taking up loads of floor space.
Tower fans can be especially useful in tight spaces, but avoid having a fan blasting directly at you for hours, especially in very hot rooms.
Reduce indoor heat sources
A fairly "boring but effective" trick is to limit the amount of internal heat sources in the room you want to keep cool.
Things like your oven, hob, gaming PC, TV, dehumidifier, tumble dryer, dishwasher, and even clusters of chargers can all add heat when the room is already struggling, especially taken together.
Try to keep these things for when the room is naturally cooler, like the evenings or at night, or swap them for lower-heat alternatives.
For example, an air fryer produces less heat than an oven, cold meals work better on really hot days, and running the dishwasher during cooler parts of the day can make a difference to average temperatures.
None of these fixes will turn a heatwave into winter, but together they can stop your flat becoming unbearable before lunchtime.
