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.