Exact time to switch fan on and off at night to stay cool and save money revealed

SUMMER is finally here, and that means millions of people are bracing for some sleepless nights as temperatures soar.

There are all sorts of tricks and gadgets you can use to try and stay cool on a hot night.

From popping your pillow cases in the freezer to laying on a cooling gel mat, plenty of gizmos promise to keep you comfortable.

But many of us rely on trusty fan to ensure a good night's sleep.

Unfortunately, firing up the device overnight can be costly - and that's a problem when energy bills are still pretty high.

To try and save you some cash, we spoke to an expert to find out the most effective way to use a fan to stay cool and save cash.

Nicholas Auckland from Trade Radiators said if you use an electric fan at night, you should only turn it on as soon as you get into bed.

Your not "cooling down" the room in the same way you might warm up a room in winter with central heating or a portable heater.

"There's no point in having your electric fan on before you get into bed" Nicholas added.

"This is because electric fans don't actually create cold air to make a room colder.

"Instead they circulate air around the room which makes us feel cooler and helps our bodies cool down."

You should then always remember to turn it off as soon as you get out of bed - otherwise you're just wasting energy.

If you sleep for around eight hours a night and keep your fan on throughout this time, you'd be spending 19p per night.

That's the equivalent of turning the fan on at 11pm and turning it off at 7am.

This is based on the current Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) - under which the typical household pays no more than £2,500 a year, on average, for their energy.

But if you left your fan on for an extra two hours - while you get ready for bed and get ready in the morning - this will cost 23.8p.

If you were to do this every night in July and August, this would add £14.76 to your energy bill.

But if you kept your fan on for just eight hours, this would cost just £11.78 - a saving of £2.98.

If you're able to reduce the amount you use your fan overnight, you could stand to save even more.

How to avoid keeping your fan on all night

Keeping a fan on its lowest setting can help to use less energy, if you're worried about costs.

Placing it in front of an open window can make it more effective - or you could place a bowl of ice cubes in front of it to generate a nice, cool breeze.

You could try keeping your fan on in shorts bursts, instead of long stints.

For example, keeping your fan on for an hour would cost just 2.4p.

If you were to do this everyday in July and August, instead of keeping your fan on for eight hours, you would save £10.30.

Keeping your blinds or curtains closed throughout the day will prevent the sun shining inside and keep your property cooler.

If you've got the budget, the NHS website recommends using shades or reflective material outside your windows as well.

If this isn't possible, you should use light-coloured curtains and keep them closed to keep your home cool.

You can pick up some light grey Voile curtains from Dunelm for just £17.60 in their sale.

While these are most expensive than running your fan across the summer, you'll save you money in the long run as you can continue using them every summer.

And where possible, try not to use metallic blinds or dark curtains as this will make the room hotter.

Plus, using tin foil to shield your home from the sun's rays can help to keep your home cool and stop you from having to use a fan or air-con inside - and it costs as little as £1.50.

Doing this instead of keeping your fan on for eight hours would save you £10.28.

Meanwhile, we have calculated how much it costs to leave your air conditioner on all night.

It's not just us struggling in the heat, here's eight gadgets to keep cool in a heatwave - including your furry friends.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk