A home insurance expert has revealed that a viral heatwave trick could invalidate your home insurance.
When the weather is so hot, people will go to great lengths to keep their houses cool and make the heat easier to deal with.
From leaving doors and windows open throughout the day to taking cold baths or showers, there are lots of ways people try to stay cool.
People also check TikTok for viral hacks when they are desperate on the hottest days of the year, but Tamzin Metcalfe, Go Compare’s home insurance expert, said they can often be an insurance risk.
What heatwave hack can invalidate your insurance?
Lots of people have turned to putting a bowl of water or even a wet cloth in front of a fan to make the air that it is blowing out cooler.
This is a serious health and safety risk, as the water could spill onto the electrical components.
If the water gets onto the plugs and sockets, it could cause an electric shock or damage the appliance.
It could even cause it to short-circuit and start an electrical fire.
If you try to put in an insurance claim for any damage caused by using this hack, an insurance provider might reject some or all of the home insurance claim for preventable misuse.
Tamzin said: "When the weather is truly unbearably hot, it’s completely understandable that people will try almost anything to cool down.
"But you have to use your head, be sensible, and not get taken in by viral trends.
"Even when the weather is scorching and the humidity feels stifling, you can’t afford to forget basic safety measures - and that includes checking whether a quick fix could completely invalidate your home insurance policy."
Safe ways to keep your house cool
There are a lot of safe ways to keep your house cool during the summer rather than using viral hacks.
You can cover your windows to stop light from coming in and keep windows open when the air is slightly cooler.
You can also use fans if the air temperature is below 35C but avoid aiming them at your body, as this can cause dehydration.
If you are able to visit a public building with air conditioning, you can plan trips out to spend a few hours there.
How do you keep cool during a heatwave? Let us know in the comments.
