Keeping warm during the winter months is a topic we’ve all discussed and found great alternatives for, but when it comes to summer temperatures, the majority of us rely on air conditioning.
However, with the AC on at all times, that electricity bill can reach astronomic heights, and in times like these, a penny saved is a penny earned.
Not everyone can afford an AC unit either, especially if you’re renting the place out and your landlord isn’t too keen on letting you install one in your home.
Well, we’ve come to your rescue, as we’ll be covering some of the better-known ways to stay cool in the summer, some of which you may have never even thought about.
Keep reading and do yourself and your energy usage a big favor this year.
Windows
As long as you’re in an area with a moderate climate, nights will tend to be colder, and that’s what you’re going to want to capitalize on.
Open a few windows in your apartment/house to create a cross breeze of cool air which’ll stick around at least until noon the next day.
By allowing cold air to circulate through your home at night, you’ll be able to wake up in a fresh room that’ll stay that way for hours.
Often referred to as night-flush ventilation, this strategy has been the cornerstone of building science for hundreds of years.
That being said, you shouldn’t forget to close those windows as soon as temperatures begin to go up again.
During the day, you should make sure that your blinds are all the way down, and even if some heat may transpire in your home, the difference will be apparent at a glance.
Proper insulation
The same insulation that helps trap heat in your home when it’s cold outside can do the opposite when you’re trying to stay cool in the summer period.
If you notice that certain rooms or even your entire apartment aren’t resistant to temperature fluctuations, it may be time to look into a weatherization project.
More often than not, houses with varying ceiling heights will have trouble keeping the heat out, so make sure you’ve done your research prior to settling into a place.
A home can look great on paper but you can never know how it fares against the summer heat until you’ve experienced it yourself.
Many companies can offer you a solid price on weatherization projects, sometimes with discounts if you’re redesigning the whole place from the ground up.
Schedule your meals accordingly
There’s nothing worse than stepping into your home hoping to cool down and being greeted with a kitchen that’s even hotter than it is outside.
It’s not just the oven either, because most appliances we’ve got in our homes will emit some amount of heat, whether it’s the dishwasher, your laundry machine, or even the air fryer.
Keep those out of use when you know they’ll make it unbearable to be inside. If you’ve got a dryer, which tends to be the main culprit when it comes to heat emission, consider drying your clothes outside, or at the very least, running the dryer when you’re sleeping.
Cooking food also comes to mind, so if you’ve got a large number of guests coming over, it may be time to invest in an outdoor grill.
Naturally, this only applies if you’ve got the space for one, but even if you don’t, you could reinvent your food habits for a couple of months.
Replace Sunday roasts and lasagna with salads and grilled dishes, most of which won’t require you to turn on your oven.
Fan management
Compared to an AC unit, a fan uses negligible amounts of electricity, and they’re much more affordable too, but using one properly does take some practice.
You can’t just point it in any direction and hope to see results, rather, you have to make sure the fan is angled in a way that allows it to circulate cool air through the room it’s placed in.
By drawing in colder air from the outside or other rooms in the house, you can quite literally „force” the heat out.
Exhaust fans can be just as effective, as they remove the hot air from areas like the kitchen and your bathroom before it even gets the chance to contribute to overheating.
Ideally, you’ll want to operate your exhaust fans when you’re taking warm showers or preparing a meal, which also helps keep the smell of food away from your living area.
Window shades
If your landlord approves, you could also look into exterior window shades, which can provide additional protection from the sun during the day.
Direct sunlight is one of the main reasons for overheating in the summer, and blocking it out with an awning, a porch or just a couple of well-placed trees should do the trick.
Of course, all of those can be quite a hefty investment, money-wise, but they’ll save you a lot more than an AC unit in the long run
Don’t throw away your AC just yet
Finally, if all else fails, give into temptation and turn on the AC, but remember to keep all your windows closed when you do, otherwise, you’ll just be wasting electricity.
All of the tips mentioned above can be used even if you do already have air conditioning installed in your home, sometimes even simultaneously.
If your home is already cool enough from proper heat management, you won’t have to waste energy as frequently as you normally would, and your wallet will be thanking you in no time.