Beat the Heat: 8 ways to stay cool this summer without burning a hole in your wallet
This is a guest post
Temperatures are starting to rise, and energy prices show no sign of cooling off. Air conditioning is usually the first thing most people turn to for relief, but the high bills for that usage often have the opposite effect. As summers are getting warmer, we are in need of better, cheaper ways to keep the heat at bay.
Here are a few ways to stay cool without burning a hole in your wallet.
1. Jump on the fan-wagon
You’ve probably heard it before, but using ceiling or portable fans are one of the cheapest, most practical ways to cool a home on less energy. They can make rooms feel up to seven degrees cooler, and cost $10 or less to run each month, even if you leave them on for 12 hours a day. Ceiling fans are a great investment; they can seem expensive for initial cost and installation, but will save you a good amount when used instead of or even in conjunction with your existing air conditioning unit.
2. Insulate before it’s too late
If your home isn’t insulated properly, you could be spending a lot more money cooling it than you should. Air conditioners have to work extra hard when there isn’t proper insulation around ducts, or when cool air escapes through cracks in the seals of doors and windows. If you don’t know where to start, an energy audit with a professional can help to determine where your home is leaking as well as identify other ways you can save energy.
3. Just turn it off
Sometimes it’s not just about keeping the heat outside, but eliminating the heat generated inside. All appliances, lighting and electronic devices generate heat while running, so be sure to turn them off when you don’t need them. Remember the Easy-Bake Oven? That used an incandescent light bulb to bake those tiny treats. Try switching your incandescents to compact fluorescents, which use 1/5 the energy and heat.
4. Dress your windows for success
Become familiar with which sides of the house the sun hits at certain times of the day. Before you go to sleep at night, close the blinds or curtains of the windows that the sun will hit in the morning. Use light-colored window treatments that will reflect light and heat away from your house. Energy-efficient double-glazed windows can help in some cases, but you can also apply heat-reflecting film to the interior surface of windows which can reflect up to 70% of solar heat.
5. Go green with more green
Don’t forget the area surrounding your house! Trees and other plants are nature’s own way of keeping us cool. Planting shade-providing plants around windows and air-conditioning units (without blocking airflow) can reduce utility bills by over $100 per year.
6. Escape the heat by escaping the house
Instead of sitting around in the hot box all day, go out for a picnic in a shady area or go for a beach trip where you can cool off in the ocean. Visit places that are already air-conditioned, like the mall or a local café. These places will have their air conditioning on regardless, and the money you save from not using your own will pay for a few extra lattes.
7. Watch what you’re cooling
Don’t cool empty rooms. Some homes have basements that receive conditioned air through vents, even though basements are typically already dark and cool. In addition, there usually aren’t people in them. Close the vents in any rooms in the house that aren’t being used; a household can save up to 5-10 percent of energy costs this way.
8. Yes, changing your thermostat does work
Another tried and true method, setting your thermostat just one degree higher will save you about two to three percent on your energy bill, and you probably won’t notice any difference.
Written by Tom Debin
Tom Debin is the CEO of Equity Thru Energy, an energy management firm that helps businesses save money on energy bills through innovative technology that monitors energy use and prevents energy waste.
He is a board member and past president of the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA), and has always been passionate about the business of wise energy use. Tom has recently launched his own blog, Worth the Energy, where he hopes to share his knowledge and passion for energy savings and the environment.
Article photo by bredgur
5 Responses to “Beat the Heat: 8 ways to stay cool this summer without burning a hole in your wallet”
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Thanks for the great tips Tom! I think it’s going to be a hot summer, but these tips will help.
-Andrew
Wow, I was under the impression that fans used much more energy than that. Thanks for the tips Tom.
I was surprised at that too Ahmed. I also figured that if you’re going to have a few fans around the house on for a long time you should just turn on the AC but I was wrong.
Good to know!
-Andrew
[...] Green Decisions, Tips and Tricks, energy savings. trackback A couple months ago I posted about a guest blog I did on Lyved.com on how to stay cool this summer without wasting energy. I included some tips [...]
[...] Read the rest of the article, and all seven additional tips, here. [...]