Overview
- Energy advisers and suppliers urged households on Wednesday to place bowls of cold water or ice on windowsills or in front of fans to help cool rooms during the heatwave.
- The cooling works because ice melting and water evaporating absorb heat from surrounding air, and a fan helps spread the cooler air but does not lower room temperature on its own.
- Putting ice or frozen bottles directly in front of a fan can make it feel more like an air conditioner, but that effect typically lasts about one to two hours unless larger frozen blocks are used or ice is replaced.
- Experts warn to keep condensation away from electrical appliances and say running fans has a small energy cost while remaining far cheaper than air conditioning, which British Gas estimates can cost up to about 40 times more to operate.
- The guidance matters because most UK homes are built to retain heat and have low air-conditioning use, so low-cost hacks offer quick comfort and help limit higher cooling bills during this week’s hot weather.