In the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you now that I love hot weather. Now that we are finally creeping out of winter into some warmer weather, my spirits are rising accordingly. Of course for some of us, this is not good news as the approaching summer heat also signals a rise in our energy bills. Central air conditioning can be one of the highest energy consuming systems in a house, beating out all other appliances. So here are some ideas to help keep your cool before resorting to cranking up the AC:
- Close the blinds while you are out: This is a small habit that can really make a difference. Even if you haven’t invested in solar shades which are supposed to reduce the effect of UV rays, you can still keep your house cooler by closing the window coverings that you own. Anything that stops the sun’s rays from getting in and heating up your home will help.
- Plant shade trees: If you have a yard and the space to support them, consider planting some shade trees. If you aren’t sure how to go about it, visit the Arbor Day Foundation web page. Not only do they provide information about different types of trees, they will also sell you a tree that is appropriate for your region. Spring planting time is now, so if this is something you are interested in, go check it out.
- Change your AC filter: Dirty AC filters cause the unit to work harder to push air through, so make sure you are changing out your filters.
- Set your programmable thermostat: Do not cool your home when you aren’t it in. A programmable thermostat will help automate this good habit.
- Take a shower: Unless you are running a sauna in your bathroom, a shower can help cool down your body temperature and leave you feeling relaxed. Its a nice thing to do before bed.
- Use ceiling fans: A ceiling fan will keep air circulating around a room which creates a cooling effect on your skin. Most fans have a separate setting for warm and cold weather, the difference being the direction of rotation, so make sure you are using the correct setting.
- Get a cooling unit for your room: Unless you have a need to air condition your entire house, it is probably cheaper to invest in a cooling unit for the individual room you are in. This can be something as simple as a box fan, a portable air conditioner, or a window-mounted unit. I even found this bed-mounted unit called The Bedfan which claims to alleviate night sweats and hot sleeping in general! If you do decide to invest in a room air conditioner, please note that according to the Department of Energy, that using a unit that is too large for your room often results in fast cooling times but ineffective removal of humidity. The result can be a cold clammy room, so check their recommendations for correctly sizing your room AC here.
So those are my tips for dealing with summer heat without upping your cooling bill. Feel free to drop a comment if you think I missed one, but don’t you tell me to learn to love the heat, cause I already got that one down!
Don’t forget to make sure you have the appropriate amount of attic insulation for your area, especially if you have an older home. My house was built in 1975 and the insulation had never been updated. I had R-8 when I needed R-38. Another interesting thing I discovered when having my house tested is that a lot of air is pulled in from the attic through wall switches/outlets. A lot of this is alleviated by cover plates, of course, but you can take an extra step and buy gaskets that will fit behind the wall plates to help “weather seal” it.