With temperatures set to hit 27 degrees this Friday, the hottest day of the year so far, households across the country are looking for ways to stay cool.
According to Energia, some everyday habits may be making your home even hotter without you realising it.
From how you use your windows to the devices you leave on, small changes can make a big difference in keeping your living space comfortable during a heatwave.
Here are five common mistakes people make and what you can do to avoid them.
Keeping your windows open during the day
Although it is tempting to open your windows and let in the fresh air, especially during warm weather, Energia is advising against it.
During a heatwave, the fresh air is hotter than what is inside your home, so letting it in during the warmest hours, usually between 12pm and 4pm, can actually trap heat and make your room even more uncomfortable.
Warm outdoor air combined with trapped indoor heat quickly turns your home into an oven, the energy provider explained.
Energia advises keeping windows closed during the day and open them at night when it is cooler outside.
Leaving curtains or blinds open
Although it is tempting to allow some natural light in during a heatwave, it may come at a cost.
Sunlight pouring in through your windows can make your home much hotter, especially if your windows face south or west where the sun is strongest in the afternoon.
This creates a greenhouse effect where heat builds up inside and stays trapped.
Three to four hours of direct sunlight can raise a room’s temperature by up to 7°C, Energia warned.
Close curtains or blinds in rooms that get direct sunlight, between 11am and 5pm, to help block out heat and keep your home cooler.
Using appliances that give off heat
Appliances like ovens, tumble dryers, and hairdryers can create a lot of heat when they are running, Energia explained.
Using them during the hottest part of the day makes your home hotter and harder to cool. This extra warmth builds up quickly, especially in smaller rooms with poor airflow.
Try to avoid using these appliances between 12pm and 4pm. Use the microwave or prepare cold meals and hang laundry outside.
Keeping electronics plugged in
Even when turned off, plugged-in devices like TVs, gaming consoles, and phone chargers still use power and produce small amounts of heat.
Each device gives off a small amount of heat, but when many are plugged in, it can make a room warmer, especially if the room is small and not well-ventilated.
Instead, Energia advises using a power strip to easily switch off multiple devices at once and stop heat from building up.
Leaving lights on
Lights, especially old-style incandescent bulbs, generate a lot of heat when they are on.
Keeping lights on when you do not need them adds extra heat to your home, and during long summer days, there is usually enough daylight, so you do not need to use lights inside.
However, many people forget to turn them off out of habit. This is an easy mistake that can make your home hotter, Energia explained.
Turn off lights in rooms you are not using and replace old bulbs with energy-saving LED bulbs, which stay cooler and use less electricity.
