How to Keep a Baby Cool in a Pram or Buggy in a Heatwave (UK)
Don’t cover a pram or buggy with a blanket, muslin or cloth to block the sun. The Lullaby Trust is clear that prams should not be covered with blankets, cloths…
How to Keep Rabbits and Guinea Pigs Cool in a UK Heatwave
If you think your rabbit or guinea pig has heatstroke, treat it as an emergency. The RSPCA’s advice is to move them to a cool, shaded place, wrap them in…
Air Conditioning in a Listed Building or Conservation Area
Unauthorised work to a listed building is a criminal offence. Not a planning breach to be regularised later — an offence, which can carry an unlimited fine and, in serious…
Air Conditioning in a Leasehold Flat: Do You Need the Freeholder’s Permission?
This is general information, not legal advice. Every lease is different, and yours is the document that governs what you can do — not general guidance, and not what a…
Why Is Upstairs Always Hotter Than Downstairs?
Three things stack up, and the last one surprises people. Warm air rises, so your staircase acts as a chimney feeding heat upstairs all day. The roof takes the most…
Can I Plug a Portable Air Conditioner Into an Extension Lead?
The short safety answer: plug it directly into a wall socket wherever you possibly can. A portable air conditioner is a high-current appliance that runs for hours. If you genuinely…
10 Portable Air Conditioner Hacks That Actually Make a Difference
Most “air conditioner hacks” online are nonsense — ice in front of the exhaust, bowls of water, that sort of thing. These ten aren’t. They’re the things that measurably change…
Why Does My House Feel Cold at 20°C?
Because your thermostat measures air temperature, and your body responds to something broader. You also lose heat by radiating it to cold surfaces — walls, windows, floors — and by…
What Temperature Should I Set My Thermostat in Winter?
For most households, somewhere in the region of 18–21°C for occupied living rooms, with 18°C generally treated as a sensible minimum — particularly where anyone is older or has a…
Does Closing Internal Doors Actually Save on Heating?
Yes — but only if you’re also turning down the radiators in the rooms you’ve closed off. Shutting a door on a radiator that’s still running full blast doesn’t save…