How to keep your house cool in a heatwave
With UK summers now regularly pushing towards 40°C, keeping a British home — built to hold heat in — cool and sleepable has become a real challenge. Here are nine things that genuinely help, plus the permanent fix that doesn't involve a box on your wall.
Nine ways to take the edge off
- Close curtains and blinds by day. Especially on south- and west-facing windows. Stopping sunlight hitting the glass is the single biggest free win.
- Open up at night. When it's cooler outside than in, open windows on opposite sides of the house to create a through-draught and flush the heat out.
- Shut doors to rooms you're not using. Contain the cool air where you actually are.
- Turn off the heat sources. Lights, the oven, the tumble dryer, even chargers and TVs on standby all add warmth. Cook cold or use the microwave on the hottest days.
- Use fans cleverly. Place a bowl of ice in front of a fan for a quick chill, and point a fan out of an upstairs window in the evening to push hot air out.
- Mind the loft. Heat rises and gets trapped up top — good loft insulation helps keep bedrooms cooler, not just warmer in winter.
- Hang a damp sheet in front of an open window — evaporation cools the incoming breeze.
- Stay low and hydrate. Sleep downstairs on the worst nights, and keep water by the bed.
- Plant some shade. Longer-term, trees, awnings and external shutters cut solar gain before it ever reaches the glass.
The permanent fix — without the eyesore
Most people assume "permanent cooling" means wall-mounted units and an outdoor condenser. It doesn't have to. Custom Comfort is a small-duct, high-velocity system that cools your whole home through slim, hidden ducts and discreet outlets — no visible indoor heads, minimal external kit, and the same system heats and ventilates the rest of the year.
It's even, quiet and genuinely whole-home — so every room stays comfortable, not just the one with a unit bolted to the wall. See how it works →
Tired of dreading every heatwave?
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Get a fixed price Request a callbackFrequently asked questions
What's the fastest way to cool a hot room?
Block the sun with closed blinds, create a cross-draught once it's cooler outside, and use a fan — ideally with a bowl of ice in front of it. For lasting comfort, a properly designed cooling system is the real answer.
Should I open windows during a heatwave?
Keep them closed (with blinds down) while it's hotter outside than in, then open them wide at night to flush out the trapped heat.
Is whole-home cooling possible without outdoor units everywhere?
Yes — a small-duct high-velocity system like Custom Comfort cools the whole house through hidden ducts with a minimal external footprint, so there are no rows of wall units or condensers.