I tried kitchen foil on my windows to see if it really keeps your house cool
I tried kitchen tin foil on my windows to see if it really keeps house cool in heatwaves
It's been called a hot tip but does foil across your windows actually work? I tried it to find the answer.
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Add us as preferred source Comments By Alex Evans, Deputy Audience Editor 13:53, Mon, Jun 22, 2026 Updated: 13:53, Mon, Jun 22, 2026 
40C. I can't even remember the last time the UK was forecast 40C heat. But this week it feels like we are yet again hurtling into unprecedented territory with more heat records set to be broken.
As journalists we see - and write - a lot of different advice for weeks like this and with the way things are going with the climate crisis, the frequency and strength of these heatwaves is only going to increase. As a country, we're still relatively inexperienced with this kind of heat. Should you have your windows open? Should you have your curtains closed? Should you be drinking alcohol or not? How long is it safe to stay outside? What shouldn't you do while driving in a heatwave? And so on - there's no shortage of expert advice out there and thankfully it's usually genuinely helpful stuff to get us through these sweaty days and sweltering nights.
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One piece of advice which caught my eye was about tin foil. We all know it can be placed behind radiators in the winter to help warm a room up, but according to some expert advice I bumped into online from people used to living in hotter climes than we're used to here in the UK, tin foil/kitchen foil/aluminium can also be used to keep your house cool in a heatwave.
The idea of the foil is that, rather than have the sun glaring through your glass window, heating the room like a greenhouse effect, the shiny, reflective foil not only stops the sun coming in (like a curtain) but actually bounces the light back away again without absorbing it (unlike a curtain). It also has a melting point of 660C apparently, so it isn't going to leave me with toxic melting metal as it reflects the heat away. At least, that's the theory.
So I sent that advice out there but then I thought, let's go one better: let's test it out, and I did so here in the midst of a heatwave in 2022. It shows how rapid climate change is happening, because that was July and two years later, we're experiencing the same temperatures in May.
Does kitchen foil really keep your house cool in a heatwave? There's still another day left until the weather breaks this Wednesday, according to the Met Office.
I decided to pick my working-from-home office (really, just the box bedroom of the house not really big enough to jam a bed into) because this room faces the direct sunlight in the morning and by the time I clock in, is usually baking hot after cooking in the sunshine. It's also got a relatively small window so it won't be wasting too much foil in these cost of living times if it doesn't work.
I made sure to check and make a note of the temperature throughout the day before to see how hot my office gets. The temperature was 31C in my office on the first day of the heatwave when I tested this in the last big heatwave in 2022, having gradually risen from 26C through the day. Yeah, pretty hot for an inside temperature.
So I taped the foil across the window as night fell ready for the next morning. The only tape I could find was some 'FRAGILE' box tape from when I moved to Leeds, which I think definitely adds to the 'homemade crack den' aesthetic.
In fact it looks so terrible across the window that I honestly wondered if my neighbours in this relatively decent suburb are going to shop me for thinking I might be growing drugs. So that's the first point here: whether it works or not, it really does make a nice house look like a broken home.
So, the results. I walked into this room at about midday and honestly, it was a noticeable difference. No lie, it's definitely the coolest part of the house.
For a little cross comparison I put the thermostat in the unfoiled dining room downstairs and within 30 minutes it said 36C. I brought it back upstairs and put it in the office and it dropped instantly to 31C in here.
It's definitely a bit cooler in there than it would have been without the foil.
So there you have it: it looks like an unsightly crack den but it really does keep a house cooler in a heatwave, and all it costs is £1.20 and some dignity in your neighbours' eyes.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
