When many of us think of summertime, our minds go directly to beach trips, backyard barbecues and sunny skies. While it’s easy to see why summer is such a popular season, it can’t be denied that it has its downsides – namely, extreme heat and the high cooling costs associated therewith. In order to keep our homes comfortably cool throughout the summer months, most of us simply crank the AC 24/7. Although this approach can prove helpful in vanquishing the heat, it’s also bad for the environment – and even worse for your utility costs. Cost-conscious households looking for convenient and cost-effective ways to stay cool this summer will be well-served by the following pointers.
1. Install Ceiling Fans Throughout Your Home
Ceiling fans are some of the most effective cooling aids to have in your summertime arsenal. Installing reliable fans in key areas throughout your residence will help provide good air circulation and ensure that the cool air from your AC is evenly distributed. Additionally, by adjusting your fans’ blades to spin counterclockwise, you’ll enable the fans to produce downward-flowing cool breezes, which can prove particularly refreshing on blisteringly hot summer days.
2. Use Nighttime Temps to Your Advantage
If the weather in your area tends to cool down after sunset, why not use this to your full advantage? Shutting off your AC, opening up some windows and letting your ceiling fans distribute the naturally cool air throughout your home can help keep things cool overnight without contributing to out-of-control utility bills.
3. Give Your Oven a Rest
If you’re a dedicated kitchen whiz, not being able to use your oven is likely to seem like an unattractive prospect. After all, the oven is among the most frequently used kitchen appliances in most households. However, an operational oven stands to make both your kitchen and the surrounding area even warmer, thus contributing to excessively hot indoor temps. While this warmth can be convenient during the frosty winter months, it can make things downright uncomfortable during the summer. That being the case, consider giving your oven a rest – or at least waiting to use it until after the sun has set.
Limiting your oven use is liable to prove much easier than you think. For starters, there are a growing number of oven-less summertime recipes that even the most inexperienced chef should be able to pull off. Secondly, being unable to use your oven may provide you with the perfect opportunity to step up your game on the grill. This, in turn, will provide your family with a great excuse to dine outdoors. To ensure that you and your crew have a comfortable place to enjoy your outdoor meals, consider investing in one of the best picnic tables.
4. Pay Special Attention to Doors and Windows
A fair amount of air can escape through improperly sealed doors and windows. Not only can this increase cooling costs throughout the summer months, it can also make heating more expensive during the winter. With this in mind, carefully inspect your home’s doors and windows for cracks and take care to seal them accordingly. You may also want to consider investing in energy-efficient doors and/or windows. These doors and windows tend to be much thicker than standard-grade ones, thus ensuring that they’re well-equipped to prevent indoor air from getting out and outside air from getting in.
Additionally, on the window front, look into purchasing blackout curtains. The more sunlight that finds its way into your home, the warmer indoor temps are likely to get. As the name suggests, blackout curtains can dramatically minimize the amount of sunlight that’s able to enter your home through the windows, thereby helping keep the indoor temperature nice and cool. As an added bonus, the thick thermal materials these curtains are made from can effectively seal in cool air.
With summer finally here, many of us are looking forward to three solid months of agreeable weather, outdoor recreation and perfect travel conditions. At the same time, however, a fair number of us are dreading the exorbitant cooling costs that are synonymous with the summer season. As any homeowner can tell you, keeping a residence comfortably cool throughout the summer months can cost big bucks. Anyone looking to maintain a cool home while preserving their finances should consider the previously discussed measures.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
