Top 6 ways to cool down a room
Updated on 15 December 2025 by:
Jessica Rawstron
Smart Energy Engineer, British Gas
A bit of summer sunshine can be lovely, but it can also make it difficult to keep your home cool without expensive air-conditioning. Beat the heat with our top, cost efficient, room-cooling tips.
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6 simple ways to keep you and your home cool
According to the Met Office, summer 2025 was the hottest day on record for the UK1. And the highest ever temperature was a whopping 40.3°C, reached in July 20222. During a heatwave, staying comfortable can be tricky – but try our top tips for the best ways to cool a room.
Light coloured blinds and curtains made of a weightier fabric offer the best heat-blocking potential, so go for these if you’re thinking of updating yours – but keep hold of any darker ones that you replace, so you can switch back once the temperature drops to keep the heat in. Keep these closed during the day too to keep your house cool in summer.
1: Close curtains and windows
Tempting as it might be to throw your windows open during a heatwave, leaving them shut when the day is at its hottest will keep rooms cool in summer. So try to only let in the air early, or late, in the day.
Light coloured blinds and curtains made of a weightier fabric offer the best heat-blocking potential, so go for these if you’re thinking of updating yours – but keep hold of any darker ones that you replace, so you can switch back once the temperature drops to keep the heat in. Keep these closed during the day too to keep your house cool in summer.
2: Improvise some air conditioning
Hanging a wet sheet in front of an open window cools the warm air as it enters your home and is a great way to cool down your home without a fan. While fans aren’t the most expensive appliance to run, using one is still likely to impact your fuel bills - but there are some things you can do to get the most out of the energy you’re paying for.
To really cool down a room with a fan, place a deep dish of ice in the front of it to whip up the water mist and chill the breeze. You can also point a box fan out of an open window in the evenings – this pushes the hot air out instead of just blowing it around the room.
Fans are a relatively cheap and energy efficient way to keep air moving and help you to stay cool – especially if you’re with British Gas for your energy during PeakSave Sundays. They’re much cheaper than air-conditioning, which can cost up to 40 times3 as much, but using a fan when the temperature rises above 35°C can make things worse as ultimately, you’re just moving hot air around. Don’t aim the fan directly at your body as this could lead to dehydration4.
3. Encourage cool air flow
If you want to cool down a room with a fan, closing off unused rooms during the day will keep the house cool in summer by focusing your cooling efforts where you’ll feel them the most. Similarly, opening internal doors when you open windows in the evening will get the air flowing again and stop your home feeling stuffy.
A good strategy is to open windows on opposite sides of your home in the early morning or late evening when the outdoor temperature is lower. This encourages airflow by letting the warm air inside escape and be replaced by cooler air from outside. If that’s not an option, for example if you live in a flat that only has windows on one side, open internal doors and use a fan to get the air moving.
Don’t forget that heat rises, so if you have a skylight or vents or windows in the loft, open them to let the warm air out. Otherwise, it can get trapped on the second floor. As that’s where bedrooms tend to be, it can make them too hot to sleep in comfortably. It’s a good idea to make sure your insulation is up to date too. Not only can it make your home more energy efficient and lower your energy bills in winter, it can also help to keep heat out in summer.
4: Fix reflective window film
This is an affordable and super effective tool for keeping your house cool in summer by keeping the sun’s rays at bay. It’s not very expensive and widely used in hotter climates, and it can reduce heat and glare by up to 99%.
While you can have it installed professionally, it’s not a tricky DIY project. It can give you a bit more privacy without sacrificing any natural light, and another bonus is that reflective window film can help to protect your furniture and flooring over time by blocking harmful UV rays and so preventing sun damage.
5: Use extractor fans cleverly
Extractors don’t just get rid of smells and steam from cooking and showering – during hot weather they can be put to double use. Open your internal doors and leave your bathroom and kitchen extractor fans running for a while to create airflow and help remove warm air.
It’s best to do this after cooking or showering, which can both increase humidity and heat. Make sure to open windows and vents elsewhere so that fresh cooler air can come in to replace the warm air expelled by the extractor fan. Don’t forget to shut internal doors again once you switch the fan off so warm air doesn’t flow back into the cooled rooms!
6: Cool yourself down too
We may take hot showers out of habit but it’s worth turning the temperature down during a heatwave. Not only can a tepid shower help keep your body cool, but it can also save energy and lower your bills. Just make sure that it’s not too cold as this can shut down blood flow to the skin, which can trap heat in the body.
When dressing after a shower, pick loose, lightweight clothing made of natural fibres like cotton and linen, which can help regulate temperature. Keeping clothing loose-fitting means that it’ll move if there’s a breeze, which can help to cool you down.
During the day, try using an icepack, chilled hot water bottle or cold cloth on your wrists and feet for an instant cold hit. Watch out for ice burns though, so wrap them in a towel to help protect the skin. And if it’s really stuffy inside, consider a dehumidifier. It’ll pull the moisture out of the air and let your skin breathe better.
At bedtime, natural fibres like cotton and linen work best for bedding as they can help regulate your body temperature when sleeping in a hot room. Avoid poly-cotton blends, as the polyester can trap heat5.
Keep your home cool and energy efficient with British Gas
Staying comfortable when the temperature soars doesn’t necessarily mean a soaring energy bill to pay for air conditioning. Simple things like knowing when to open and close curtains and windows can help you to keep cool without spending a single penny. Interested in more ways to save on energy bills?