Heatwave could send energy bills soaring as Scotland faces hotter future
Rising temperatures are likely to mean higher energy costs for sweltering Scots this summer, as they struggle to keep cool.
While the country traditionally enjoys lower energy bills in the hot summer months - when there’s no need to put the heating on - this year’s scorching temperatures could see those savings evaporate.
More and more Scots will be running electric fans and potentially much more expensive air conditioning units as they look to battle the blistering heatwave.
And while temperatures might be hotter in other parts of the UK, Scotland has a particular problem when it comes to the increasingly high summer temperatures because our homes are designed to keep heat in - not to keep it out.
“In the UK we’ve not really had to engage in this conversation so much but as we’re very quickly learning these high temperatures are very intense, meaning people often struggle to sleep people can’t sleep,” said Energy Savings Trust Knowledge Manager Joanna O’Loan.
“Cooling is now suddenly on the UK agenda to a growing extent, and it’s something that the Government needs to get prepared for.
“Because we haven’t historically experienced these temperatures, our buildings just aren’t designed for it. Houses in hot countries like Spain or France or Portugal all tend to have small windows and external shutters, to keep the heat out.
“We’ve got the opposite, and so when it gets this hot that’s a big problem.”
While the rising temperatures might be uncomfortable, the impact on a household electric bill could be even worse. As the planet’s temperature increases however, there is going to be a greater need for offices, public buildings and homes to get air conditioning units - meaning bigger summer costs.
“There are ways to keep your house cool naturally, like cross-ventilation, but sometimes you will need cooling from fans or AC units and that increases energy and demand,” Joanna said.
“Fans are definitely at the lower end of the cost, and they can relieve the discomfort when it is very hot, but they are not actively cooling the air. For that you need air conditioning, which needs an outside vent and can be very expensive to install in the kind of old properties Scotland has.
“It’s certainly something that other parts of the UK are already wrestling with - for people’s well-being and to avoid excess deaths there will be a need there to look at more widespread use of AC units.
“I don’t know at what point Scotland will become part of that conversation, but if temperatures here are regularly exceeding 30C then there’s no question it will.”
Keep out the sun
Passive cooling methods are the most cost-effective way to keep your house comfortable in the summer - and since the heat is coming from the sun, that means keeping it out. With most Scottish homes not having window shutters, this means simple methods like keeping blinds and curtains closed during the daytime. And while it might be tempting to open the windows, if the temperature outside is scorching this will only let warm air in - so keep windows closed until the temperatures are lower outside.
Cross ventilate
In hot summer months it is a good tip to try and cool the house in the mornings and evenings when you can open windows at opposite sides of a house to allow the cool air to pull through and properly ventilate the space.
Electric fans and evaporators
If passive means not enough, then try to use low-power methods. Plug-in USB powered fans are a very low energy solution for desktops, while small things like reducing the brightness of your monitor can reduce the power output of your laptop, which will reduce the amount of heat it produces. Putting a tub of ice or ice water behind a fan can also help cool the air it is circulating. Evaporator coolers are also very effective but they do put moisture into the air which can cause issues with condensation and damp, so make sure the area you are using them in is well ventilated.
Air Conditioning
The most expensive, but most effective, method to cool a house is an air conditioning unit. Having these installed can be expensive, while they also cost a lot to run. If there are no other options, portable air conditioning units can be fairly simple to use. They may need an outlet to the exterior of a property, which is usually a pipe through a sealed window opening. While very useful for very hot days, they are expensive, costing around £6 a day to run. Make sure any unit bought comes from a reputable supplier for safety.
If cooling does become a necessity, it will become more imperative than ever to try and keep household energy bills down. In the past this was something that could be achieved by shopping around and looking for the best deals offered by competing energy companies, although Joanna admits this is no longer something likely to provide a big saving, as a result of the energy price cap.
“These days most tariffs from all the major energy suppliers are at or very near the energy price cap. It can be a bit cheaper in summer because of reduced global demand, but it actually doesn’t make a huge difference to bills as most people pay a direct debit that gets topped up in summer and that helps offset the winter costs.
“There are deals out there, but they’re not what they were, and you are maybe looking at a few pence below the price cap.
“If you’re thinking about changing supplier, the best time is if you know your current deal is about to end, that's when to start looking.”
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