People are only just realising hot weather window mistake adding to energy bills – and you could save up to £340

PEOPLE are only just realising that a hot weather window mistake could actually be adding to their energy bills.

Summer has well and truly begun in the UK and most of us have been feeling the heat.

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Temperatures already reached 30°C over the weekend and are set to remain in the high 20Cs this week.

One mistake that people are only just realising they’re making is all to do with specific windows in their homes which they aren’t using to their full advantage.

This means they could being using other energy-guzzling methods like air conditioning units instead which can add £340 to bills.

If you have sash windows, as many Victorian era houses do, you can actually create your own air conditioning system.

One savvy homeowner took to Twitter to share the reminder, which came as quite a revelation to many.

She wrote: “Annual hot weather reminder that if you’ve got sash windows and open them equally at top and bottom you can enjoy some Victorian ‘air conditioning’ that ventilates and removes heat.”

Attached to the Tweet was a handy photo demonstrating how the window hack works.

The post was met with just under 200 responses and over 1,000 retweets from people who were unaware of the system.

One replied: “I didn’t even know you could open them from the top and I’ve lived here for 20 years.”

Another said: “I didn’t know this! Thank you so much!”

A third wrote: “I did not know this. Have just opened bottom pane. Thank you!”

A fourth commented: “Wow I had no idea!”

And another said: “You mean I’ve been suffering in my unbearable up to 35 degree south facing living room for the hot weeks in the last few summers?! Trying this when I get home.”

By lowering the top sash and raising the bottom sash warm air escapes from high levels while cool, fresh air is drawn into the room, before then dropping to the floor, pushing more air towards the ceiling.

When the air rises it accelerates the process drawing more fresh air into the room.

Not only is this a nifty trick, it could actually save you as much as £340 over the summer months compared to using a portable air conditioner.

A portable unit uses 1KW of power an hour – or £21.02 a week based on nine hours of use a day.

When multiplied out to account for the hottest months for Brits – June to September – it’s a pretty hefty price.

Also, if you don’t have an air conditioning unit but use a fan throughout the day or night, you could also save yourself £28.06 over the same period if you used it over night.

For that reason it’s definitely worth seeing how much you can save compared to using devices that require electricity – especially with the cost of living weighing heavily on most people’s minds.

Here are some other ways you can keep cool during the hot weather but for no extra cost.

What are the other alternatives?

If you don’t want to pay anything at all, there are some simple tricks you can employ to keep cool.

Close the blinds

Keeping your blinds or curtains closed throughout the day will prevent the sun shining inside and keep your property cooler.

If you’ve got the budget, the NHS website recommends using shades or reflective material outside your windows as well.

If this isn’t possible, you should use light-coloured curtains and keep them closed to keep your home cool.

And where possible, try not to use metallic blinds or dark curtains as this will make the room hotter.

Take out those chargers

Plugged in chargers can emit heat, and while it may not make a massive difference to the overall temperature of the room by taking them out of your sockets, you’re better off charging anything outside your bedroom to prevent creating extra heat.

The same goes for other electrics – so save on your energy bills and keep cooler all in one move.

Wear pyjamas

It might feel like the complete opposite of what you should do by putting on clothes when going to bed, but experts say it can actually make you cooler.

Meanwhile, we reveal why your fan is in the wrong place – plus other simple mistakes adding to your bills and how to keep costs down.

If you do have to head to work when you’d rather be enjoying the sun, we explain what rights you have when it’s too hot in the office.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk