Spring 2025 has officially been declared the sunniest on record by The Times, and while that might sound like a dream to some, not everyone fares well in constant sunshine and high temperatures. Personally, I struggle with the heat due to my illness, and my poor red-headed son is hiding away from that relentless yellow thing in the sky like a vampire at midday.
Helen Tandy, Founding Director, Eco Communities
The current heatwave is not just unusual—it’s alarming. Scientists have confirmed that this kind of extreme weather is now 10 times more likely, and 2–4°C hotter than
it would have been without climate change. It’s a stark reminder that rising global temperatures are not just a far-off concern—they’re here, affecting us now.
Our Homes Aren’t Designed for This
One of the biggest problems we face in the UK is that our homes are built to retain heat, not lose it. We’ve spent decades improving insulation to survive damp winters, but now we’re having to rethink what sustainable home design should look like in a warming world.
Sustainable Ways to Keep Cool
We all need to find ways to stay cool that don’t crank up our carbon footprint. Here are some sustainable cooling tips:
- Shut it out: Keep blinds and curtains closed during the hottest part of the day, especially on south-facing windows. Reflective or thermal blinds can make a big difference.
- Night ventilation: Open windows in the evening and early morning when it’s cooler. Create a cross-breeze by opening windows at opposite sides of your home.
- Cool yourself, not your house: Use a damp cloth, cooling mist sprays, or a bowl of cold water for your feet rather than running fans
all day. - Switch off appliances: Devices like ovens, computers, and even chargers generate heat. Turn them off or unplug when not in use.
- Green your space: Indoor plants can help cool the air and provide a psychological cooling effect. Outdoors, shade-providing trees and climbers can help insulate your home from direct sunlight.
Protecting Wildlife in the Heat
It isn’t just us humans who are struggling—our wildlife is also facing serious heat stress. Many of our native species aren’t adapted to these higher temperatures.
Here’s how you can help:
- Provide water: Leave shallow dishes of clean water for birds, bees, and other creatures. Place some pebbles in the dish so insects can land safely.
- Avoid mowing: Let your lawn grow a little wild. Longer grass and native plants offer shade and food for insects and small mammals.
- Create cool shelters: A simple pile of logs, dense shrubs, or even a shady corner in your garden can offer vital refuge from the sun.
- Feed responsibly: Avoid putting out bird food in direct sun and ensure water bowls are clean to prevent disease.
Read more from Wildlife Trusts – CLICK HERE
Sustainable Living Tips for a Hotter UK
- Retrofit for resilience: Consider light-coloured roofing or external shading when doing home improvements. These reflect heat and keep interiors cooler.
- Rethink energy use: On sunny days, solar panels are more productive—now might be the time to invest or join a community solar scheme.
- Transport choices: Hotter days might tempt car use, but walking or cycling early in the morning or evening is a great sustainable option (and easier on your body in the heat).
- Buy local and seasonal: Climate-friendly diets can support UK farmers facing growing challenges from droughts and extreme weather.
A New Normal?
This level of heat used to be rare—now it’s happening regularly. It’s a visible, tangible effect of climate change, and it impacts our health, our homes, and our ecosystems. Climate scientists have been warning us for years, and now we’re living the reality.
While it’s easy to feel powerless, there are things we can do, both to adapt, and to push for a better, more sustainable future. From reducing our personal carbon footprints to demanding stronger climate action, we all have a role to play.
But for now, I’ll be in the shade, sipping iced water, trying to stay cool, and keeping an eye on the water bowls I’ve left out for the bees.
