23 Jun Home Tip of the Week: Keep Your Home Cool This Summer
The temperature is rising, and the dog days of summer are here. This means your A/C will be working harder than ever if you are staying inside to beat the heat. However, there are a few things you can do to help keep your home cool while also keeping your electric bill from going through the roof!
- Keep your blinds closed.
- Keep the house closed tight during the day.
- Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise for optimal breeze.
- Use bathroom fans and kitchen exhaust fans to pull hot air that rises out of your home.
- Fire up the grill instead of using your oven or stove inside.
- If you do need to cook, clean, do laundry or run the dishwasher, try to do so in the cooler parts of the day. You can also pre-cook large quantities of food to last you several days.
- Turn your A/C off completely, or bump the temperature setting up a few degrees when you leave for more than an hour.
- Clean or replace air filters monthly.
- Turn off lights when not in use, especially incandescents that give off a lot of heat. Use cooler light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or compact fluorescents (CFLs) instead.
- Unplug electronics when not in use. Even when they are turned off, they can generate heat.
- Plant trees in front of windows (especially those that are South and West facing) to create shade.
- Beef up the insulation in your attic.
- Planning for a new roof or paining the outside of your home? Try light colors that reflect more sunlight.
With these tips, you’ll have fun this summer without breaking a sweat or breaking the bank!
