We’ve all been there: When the temp soars during those inevitable hot & humid summer days and nights, we instinctively crank up the AC, only to cringe when we open our electric bills. Since most of us wouldn’t dream of trying to make it through the summer without a reliable air conditioning system, we’ve gotta find ways to reduce our home cooling costs folks. So put down the hammer and let Porky Piggybank live another day by checking out these useful, money-saving tips to keep your house cool and comfortable, while also reducing dependency on that AC unit.
Two Words: Ceiling Fans
If you want to cool down a room without dialing down the AC temperature, you should definitely explore the benefits of ceiling fans. A high-quality ceiling fan makes a room way cooler by circulating slightly warmer air throughout the space. You will be able to keep your thermostat at a higher setting — even as high as 78 degrees F — without breaking a sweat.
Pro tip: set your ceiling fans to rotate counterclockwise at a higher speed during the summer months to create a refreshing wind-chill effect.
Throw Some Shade
While those rays of golden sunshine beaming through your windows will certainly brighten the interior of your home, they can also increase the indoor temperature by as much as 20 degrees. Keeping shades, curtains and blinds on east- and south-facing windows closed will make your home noticeably cooler on those hot, sunny days.
Other ways to add shade to your home from the outside in include installing awnings and planting trees in front of light-facing windows, as well as covering windows with low-emissivity film.
Crack Those Windows
Take advantage of the cooler air after sundown by letting it inside your home. Shut off the AC, open the windows—even just a crack, we know that high pollen levels can be a huge pain for allergy sufferers—and turn on any ceiling, window or free-standing fans to circulate the nighttime air throughout your home.
An easy tip to maximize the cooling power of a large fan is to place a large bowl of ice cubes or other cold item in front of it at an angle and voilà, you’ve got an arctic chill right in your living room.
Make Both Sides the Cool Side of the Pillow
You can make your bedroom feel so much cooler by implementing a few simple tips to “heat-proof” your bed. Use cotton sheets instead of flannel or other insulating materials. Also, consider switching to buckwheat pillows. Weird, we know, but unlike traditional pillow material, buckwheat allows the release of your body heat.
Another classic & extremely effective nighttime cooling tip is to fill a hot water bottle with water and put it in the freezer, and then place it at the foot of your bed when you go to sleep. Gone are the days of the old “foot hanging off the side of the bed” trick, am I right?
Reduce Heat Accumulation
There are several steps you can take to prevent the buildup of excess heat inside your home. Turn off all lights and electronic devices when not in use. Do your laundry early in the morning or after sundown, and consider hanging your clothes on a clothesline (we know, a very primitive concept) in the backyard or basement to dry. Grill outdoors on the deck or patio instead of using the oven for your summertime cooking.
Of course, there will still be times when you need to rely heavily on your air conditioning, especially during periods of over the top, eggs cooking on the sidewalk kind of heat. Haller Enterprises offers premium residential cooling services to ensure your AC unit is working in the most efficient, cost-effective manner. Contact us to schedule an air conditioning system tune-up today!
