BBC Morning Live presenter Nick Knowles put popular home heatwave tips to the test12:40, 10 Jul 2026Updated 12:42, 10 Jul 2026A test featured on today's (July 10) edition of BBC Morning Live has uncovered several ways British households can make their homes feel 'noticeably cooler' - among them a nifty trick using a bottle and tin foil. The advice comes as the country swelters through its third heatwave of the year.‌This week, mercury levels across swathes of the UK have soared into the mid-30s as the blistering conditions persist. The Met Office has indicated that Friday is set to be the hottest point of the current heatwave.‌The UK Health Security Agency has put out amber and yellow heat health alerts. The soaring temperatures are forecast to put considerable pressure on health and social care services, reports Yorkshire Live.‌Deputy Chief Forecaster Tom Crabtree stated: "Many people will understandably want to know how long the current heatwave is likely to last. While temperatures are expected to ease across southeast England through the weekend and into next week, it won't be a straightforward end to the warm weather."The overall signal is for continued fine, dry and very warm weather at times for many parts of the UK into next week. There is, however, a chance of thunderstorms spreading into parts of the south and southwest."‌The scorching daytime temperatures mean countless people are finding it difficult to stay cool at home, as British properties are typically built to trap heat during the winter period. Night-time conditions remain warm and humid, with millions battling to achieve proper rest.Yet, various online cooling tricks promise to bring down indoor temperatures. Popular television personality Nick Knowles joined forces with Polly Turton from Shade The UK, a charity helping vulnerable people during spells of extreme heat, to discover if these methods actually deliver results.They carried out multiple experiments, including placing frozen water bottles in front of a fan for an hour to see if it affected the air temperature. They also covered windows with tin foil in a bid to bring down indoor temperatures.‌Content cannot be displayed without consentDiscussing the water bottle method, Polly said: "We are going to show that by moving air across a cold object, you can cool the room temperature." Looking at a thermometer, Nick observed: "Okay, so the room at the moment reads at 27.1C."They turned the fan to "maximum" and left the room for an hour to see the outcome of the experiment. Upon their return, they checked the thermometer again. Nick said: "It is noticeably cooler in here... [the thermometer] now says 25.4C."‌Nick asked whether the two-degree drop would make much difference. She responded: "It may not seem it, but for a young child in a hot bedroom, or an elderly adult suffering from heat, that's going to make a big difference to their health and wellbeing." She continued: "The electricity used to run this is minimal, compared to an air conditioning unit".The Energy Saving Trust reckons that operating air conditioning for 24 hours could set you back as much as £6. By comparison, running a standalone fan for the same length of time typically costs anywhere from 15p to 31p.‌As for the tin foil method, which works by reflecting sunlight and stopping heat from building up, they discovered it delivered noticeable outcomes when they examined the room an hour afterwards.Polly explained: "[The thermometer] was reading at about 32C on the glass pane. Now the surface temperature is about 28C - about a two to three-degree reduction".Nick commented: "It definitely works". Polly responded: "It is an effective solution if you don't have any other options available to you."Article continues belowNick also told viewers that the tin foil method represents another "cost-effective" choice, since a roll of tin foil generally costs around £1.50.