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Simple Ways to Keep Your Home Comfortable

Many simple actions can help keep your home cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Manage Indoor Temperatures

Close curtains or blinds: Keep them closed to block heat on hot days or retain warmth when it is cold.
Use a hot-water bottle year-round: Fill it with hot water for warmth, or use cold water to help you cool down.

Prepare Meals Efficiently

On warmer days, choose meals that do not require cooking to avoid adding extra heat to your home. When you want a hot meal, appliances such as air fryers, microwaves and slow cookers can often use less energy—and cost less to run—than a conventional oven.

Reduce Hot-Water Use

Take shorter showers: Aim for around four minutes to reduce the energy needed to heat water as well as the amount of water you use.

For more ideas visit https://www.greatgreenbedwyn.org.uk/post/quick-tips-to-save-energy-at-home

Cooler Homes: practical ways to beat the heat that make home warmer in winter too!

As summers become hotter, keeping our homes comfortable and safe is an increasingly important part of adapting to climate change. The recent Green Vale Cooler Homes event brought local people together with experts to explore straightforward, affordable ways to reduce overheating—drawing on practical guidance from various speakers from The Centre for Sustainable Energy, Climate Friendly Bradford On Avon and others.

From shading windows before sunlight reaches the glass to changing when we open the windows, the discussion showed that small choices can make a noticeable difference. The emphasis was not on a single expensive solution, but on combining measures that suit each home, household and budget.

Shade the UK, is an organisation working to help people and places become more resilient to extreme heat. Their website is worth a visit.

Why cooler homes matter

UK homes were not designed for prolonged periods of high heat. Shade the UK highlights the growing risks that overheating pose to health and wellbeing, particularly for people who are more vulnerable. Its Overheating Adaptation Guide for Homes sets out dozens of measures for owners and renters, covering external and internal shade, passive cooling, ventilation and the reduction of heat generated inside the home.

Start by keeping the sun out

Stopping solar heat before it enters a room is more effective than trying to cool it afterwards. External shutters, awnings, light-coloured fabric and well-positioned plants can shade windows and walls. Even a securely fixed sheet or towel outside an unshaded window can provide temporary relief. Inside, close curtains or blinds before direct sunlight reaches the glass. Light-coloured or reflective materials help to reduce heat gain, provided they are suitable for the surface and installed safely.

Look above: roofs and lofts

Roofs—especially tiled and flat roofs—can absorb substantial heat. Suitable reflective or water-based thermal coatings may reduce heat absorption, while insulating or lining a loft will slow heat transfer into rooms below. Products and installation methods vary, so check that any material is appropriate for the roof construction, ventilation and fire-safety requirements before use.

Cut heat generated indoors

Appliances and lighting add heat as well as using energy. So, avoid heat-producing activities like cooking or washing dishes or clothes during the hottest part of the day where possible Switch devices fully off rather than leaving them on standby, and choose LED lighting. Check whether a hot-water cylinder is set higher than needed and make sure it is well insulated; seek professional advice before changing unfamiliar controls. On very hot days, close off rooms that are difficult to keep cool and spend time in the coolest part of the home—or in a cooler public or community space.

Ventilate at the right time

Opening windows is helpful only when the outside air is cooler than the air inside. During the hottest part of the day, keep windows closed and shaded if outdoor temperatures are higher. A thermometer placed outside in the shade can help you judge the right moment. When the temperature drops in the evening or early morningopen windows and internal doors to purge trapped heat and create cross-ventilation. Where it is safe to do so, an open loft hatch may help warm air rise out of occupied rooms.

Use fans and cool your body

Fans can improve comfort by moving air across the skin, although they do not lower the room temperature. A cool pack placed safely in front of a fan will make the airflow feel cooler; keep moisture away from electrical equipment. Shade the UK also recommends staying hydrated, wearing loose, light-coloured clothing and using a lukewarm shower, a cool compress or a wet cloth to help the body lose heat. Avoid very cold water, which can reduce blood flow to the skin and trap heat.

A layered approach

The clearest message from the event was to combine actions: block sunlight, reduce heat generated indoors, ventilate when the air outside is cooler, and use simple measures to keep people comfortable. The best mix will depend on the building, but every household can start with low-cost changes and build from there.

For more practical guidance, visit Great Green Bedwyn and explore Shade the UK’s Overheating Adaptation Guide for Homes and extreme heat advice.

Keeping warm in winter

Many of the same principles can help a home stay warmer in winter. The aim is simply reversed: make the most of useful heat, slow down heat loss and ventilate in a controlled way so that the home remains comfortable without trapping excess moisture.

Use sunlight when it helps. Open curtains and blinds on sunny winter days, particularly on south-facing windows, to allow solar warmth into rooms. Close them before dusk to create an extra barrier between the warm room and cold glass. External shutters can also help reduce heat loss overnight when they are suitable for the property.

Keep heat in. Plenty of loft insulation, a well insulated hot-water cylinder and attention to gaps around doors, windows and loft hatches all reduce avoidable heat loss. Curtains should not cover radiators, and furniture should be kept far enough away to let warm air circulate. Before adding insulation, coatings or draught-proofing, check that they are appropriate for the building and do not block essential ventilation.

Ventilate briefly and effectively. Rather than leaving windows slightly open for long periods, use short bursts of ventilation when needed to clear moisture and stale air, especially after cooking, drying clothes or bathing. Keep internal doors closed around cooler or damp rooms, use extractor fans where fitted, and avoid blocking permanent vents.

Reduce wasted energy. Switch off unused appliances, use LED lighting and make sure heating and hot-water controls match when rooms are occupied. Heat the rooms you use, close doors to less-used spaces and seek professional advice before altering boilers, cylinders or unfamiliar controls.

As in summer, the most effective approach is layered: manage the sun, improve the building fabric, control ventilation and reduce unnecessary energy use. Together, these measures can make homes more comfortable throughout the year while helping to keep energy bills and carbon emissions down.

How to request a thermal survey. To ask about a thermal-imaging home survey, contact Great Green Bedwyn greatgreenbedwyn@gmail.com or Pewsey Green by emailing contact@pewseygreen.org.uk or visit www.pewseygreen.org.uk for the latest local information.

Wiltshire Library Scheme: Residents in the wider Wiltshire area can also borrow thermal imaging cameras free of charge from Wiltshire Council libraries. These connect via Bluetooth to smartphones or tablets using the FLIR ONE app to detect household drafts and insulation gaps. However, it can be hard to interpret the results, especially if the sun has been shining on your house, so best to use it on a cold, cloudy day.