People are looking for ways to stay cool, but may not realise the cost07:05, 09 Jul 2026The Met Office has reported a third heatwave will be heading for much of the UK in July. Although it’s predicted that it won’t reach the scorching temperatures of the June heatwave, people may still be turning to unsafe hacks and tricks in a bid to keep cool.‌The next heatwave is expected to focus on southern areas of the UK, reaching highs of 34C to 35C. However, the Met Office warned that the hot and dry conditions could last for a good few days, meaning many people could potentially be in for a few sleepless nights in the heat.‌While much of England and Wales will be affected, the heat is also expected to extend all the way up to parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, with temperatures there hitting the upper 20s.‌During the past two heatwaves, social media has flooded with ways to stay cool on a budget or without proper air conditioning. However, not all of these seemingly innocuous tips and tricks are actually safe as some could put your home, health and even your insurance at risk, according to the experts.Window opening timesA number of reports have urged people to keep their windows closed during the middle of the day to avoid letting heat inside the house, but some people have also interpreted this as leaving windows open all night.‌While this might create a nice breeze to help you fall asleep, it’s also a major safety risk. Go.Compare' s home insurance expert Tamzin Metcalfe warned: “One of TikTok’s most common heatwave hacks, with hundreds of thousands of views, presents a genuine insurance risk.“Leaving a window or door open overnight to help bring a breeze inside might help to keep your rooms cool, but if a burglar enters your property through an open door, any claim you try to make on your insurance will probably be rejected.”Overnight fansIf your windows have to be closed all night, some people may turn to indoor fans and other appliances to keep cool while they are sleeping but this can be a major health risk too.‌Product Safety Engineer of Electrical Safety First, Giuseppe Capanna, said: “Households are putting themselves at risk if a fault occurs with their device while they are sleeping.“We advise turning your fan off before going to sleep. However, we understand many people will be tempted to keep it on and in this instance, we urge households to ensure they have working smoke alarms in their property.”Article continues below‘Portable AC’ hackA popular piece of TikTok advice is making a ‘portable AC’ tying wet or even frozen towels and ice bags to your fans so that the air it blows towards you is even cooler than before.Capanna warned the major issue with this ‘hack’: “Both of these could leave you at serious risk of electric shock, as water risks coming into contact with the motor. We advise everyone to ignore these videos that can garner hundreds of thousands of views.”Hanging ice or towels over your fan can also cause mechanical issues if the items get stuck in the blades or it becomes too heavy and causes the fan to topple. So while attempting to get an AC, you could end up with nothing but a broken fan in the middle of a heatwave.