Periods of warmer weather are prompting households across the UK to adapt how they manage heat in the home, from investing in cooling solutions to considering longer-term property decisions, new research from Barclays shows.
Many households are already taking practical steps to stay comfortable during hotter periods. Around one in six (17%) have purchased portable air conditioning, while one in 10 (11%) have installed fixed systems for use during warmer weather. More accessible solutions remain widely used, with nearly half (48%) of homeowners using portable fans and a third (34%) installing blackout blinds or curtains.
Alongside these immediate actions, there is a clear appetite for larger interventions. Two in five adults (40%) say they would prefer to invest in home improvements to prevent overheating from the outset, rather than rely on methods to bring the temperature down. Three in 10 homeowners (31%) have or are considering planting trees to provide shade and 28% are improving ventilation through modifications such as skylights or vents.
Efforts to reduce temperatures at home are being weighed against concerns around cost. Three in 10 adults (30%) say they worry about the impact on their energy bills when using electricity to cool their homes. As a result, more than four in 10 (44%) report that they actively avoid energy-intensive cooling methods where possible. Reflecting the seasonal nature of hotter weather in the UK, nearly half (48%) also feel that cooling solutions are not needed for most of the year.
For some households, these competing pressures are prompting more significant lifestyle considerations. One in seven (13%) say they are considering a move to a cooler part of the country to manage ongoing costs, rising to 21% among Gen Z and 25% of Millennials, indicating that warmer weather may be beginning to influence longer-term housing decisions as well as day-to-day behaviour.
Jatin Patel, head of mortgages, savings and insurance at Barclays, said: “Hotter spells are a challenge for British households, particularly as much of the nation’s housing stock isn’t designed to combat sustained periods of high temperatures.
“For homeowners, it’s no longer just a question of comfort, but also cost-management as they balance staying cool with the impact on their energy bills. For some, this means choosing to retrofit their home with more passive ventilation options, meanwhile a growing number of homeowners are considering moving altogether to make sure their home is equipped from the outset.”
