British Gas tells UK households don't use washing machines before 5pm until Friday

British Gas has warned Brits to not use washing machines before 5pm until Friday amid scorching temperatures.

Amber heat health alerts have been issued for parts of the UK this week as a heatwave could bring record-breaking temperatures of up to 38C, with health alerts in place from this morning until Friday night.

With temperatures rising across the UK, British Gas is urging UK households to not use washing machines until 5pm in order to keep homes cool in the hot weather.

Doing your washing in the evening, from 5pm onwards, can significantly reduce indoor temperatures during heatwaves.

Peter Knowles, Service and Repair Engineer at British Gas, said: "We all know how frustrating it is when our homes are hot and stuffy. The good news is that there are some practical steps that households can take to help keep inside temperatures down during the summer months.

"Things like doing your washing in the evening, keeping windows closed during the middle of the day or putting your fans on the floor are all small changes that can make a real difference."

The British Gas engineer added that leaving cooking to a similar time of day will also help reduce temperatures inside.

Using ovens, hobs, tumble dryers and washing machines during the coolest parts of the day prevents adding extra heat when temperatures peak.

The gas company suggest to batch cook early morning or late evening, air-dry laundry outdoors where possible, and embrace lighter meals that don't require cooking during the hottest hours.

Another way to keep homes cool is to unplug heat-generating devices.

This includes chargers, laptops and other devices. When left plugged in these release ambient heat even when not actively in use.

During a heatwave, multiple devices can contribute to that stuffy indoor feeling, so unplugging what you're not using will help keep rooms that bit cooler.

Ahead of the heatwave, the Met Office said: "Hot and humid weather is expected to continue through the middle of the week, with exceptionally warm temperatures both day and night."

The forecaster added: "Substantial changes in working practices and daily routines likely to be required. Failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment is likely, with the probable loss of power and other essential services, such as water, electricity, gas or mobile phone services."