Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate5 Cost-Saving Ways to Cool Off Your Home
Rising temperatures often mean rising energy bills as we put our AC to the test in an effort to keep our homes comfortable during the blistering heat of summer. Raising the temperature by just a couple of degrees, however, can have a meaningful impact on your summertime electric bill, so use these strategies to help keep your home cool, easing the burden on your AC units.
1. Keep it dark.
Keep curtains closed, and blinds and shades drawn, on the hottest of summer days. Consider paper black-out shades for particularly sunny spots. This will help prevent the strong summer sun from making your home feel even hotter.
2. Leave the AC on.
It may seem counterintuitive, but shutting off your AC when you're not at home can actually end up costing you more. It requires less energy for most AC systems to maintain a temperature than to cool off a home once it's gotten hot. When you leave for the day, try raising the temperature a couple of degrees instead.
3. Fill the gaps.
Check windows and doors for any gaps that are allowing cool air to escape and hot air to seep in. Use v-shaped weather stripping, foam or, worst case, a rolled-up towel, to seal openings that are preventing your home from properly cooling. You'll notice a difference right away.
4. Put fans to work.
While fans don't cool the air like an actual AC unit does, they can play an important part in helping to circulate cool air throughout your house so your AC doesn't have to work so hard. A ceiling fan in reverse will pull cool air towards a room, and a window fan on exhaust will pull hot air out of a room. Or keep a fan in your bedroom at night and raise the temp on your AC a few degrees.
5. Keep the kitchen cool.
On the hottest summer days, avoid heating up the kitchen by opting not to cook. Turning on the stovetop or oven generates unnecessary heat, the last thing you need on an already hot day. So plan on no-cook dinners, take-out meals or fire up the grill and cook outdoors instead.
Implementing just a few of these strategies can make a noticeable difference on your utility bills this summer, so be sure to give them a try.
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