Brits urged to put sheet of A4 paper in fridge before Saturday
As the hot summer sun continues to scorch, pushing UK temperatures to at least 30C in 24 counties this weekend, an expert has urged everyone to do one easy household check involving just a humble A4 piece of paper.
Brits might be ill-prepared for the searing heat's influence on their homes and especially their fridges, which could end up costing you money.
One effect of the hot weather that you probably haven't accounted for is the impact the baking conditions can have on your food and drink - and indeed your entire fridge. According to white goods manufacturer Beko, a common issue with your fridge could cause you to lose a lot of food in the hot temperatures, due to it going off early in the warmer conditions.
If your fridge is more than a few years old, there's a good chance the door seal isn't working as well as it should. When the seal becomes worn or loose, your fridge has to work harder to stay cold - driving up your energy bills. Worse still, it can lead to internal damage and cause your food to spoil faster.
To check, all you need is a single sheet of A4 paper, the Express reports. Salah Sun, Head of Product Management at Beko UK, issued a warning, saying: "One issue that may arise with your fridge is wear and tear on the door seal. A worn-out door seal can prevent the refrigerator door from closing properly, causing the cooling system to work harder to keep your groceries fresh.
"This can lead to increased energy consumption and potential damage to your fridge and its temperature settings. Heat entering your fridge can overwhelm its cooling capabilities, especially during blazing summer days."
He added: "To check if your fridge door is functioning correctly, use a piece of paper. You can buy paper for as little as 1p or use any paper you have at home."
"Place the paper against the door seal and close the door. When you try to pull the paper out, you should feel some resistance. If the paper slides out easily, your door seal may need replacing."
According to the Met Office, the blistering weather will keep getting hotter and hotter this week. Temperatures will stay at 27C on Tuesday and Wednesday, rising to 28C by Friday and hitting peaks of 29C on Saturday, possibly even 30C in some parts of England.
Moreover, the Met Office has flagged that "much of the UK will be in heatwave conditions by the coming weekend".
It said: "Heat will build through the week. On Wednesday the highest temperatures values in the UK are expected to be around 27C. On Thursday this will rise to 29C and by Saturday increasing more locations will exceed heatwave values, with the highest temperatures expected to exceed 30C."
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