Energy-Efficient Ways to Cool Your Residence This Summer

When it comes to home cooling, many of us regard air conditioning as the only tool at our disposal – and to a point, this makes sense. After all, if you’re looking to cool an uncomfortably warm home in a timely and effective manner, a high-quality AC system can certainly oblige. However, becoming overly reliant on air conditioning can prove damaging to the environment and result in unmanageably high utility costs throughout the summer months. Anyone looking for energy efficient, cost-effective home cooling solutions would do well to heed the following tips.

Put Your Ceiling Fans to Good Use

Reliable ceiling fans are essential tools for anyone looking for energy-efficient cooling solutions. To start with, you can use them in tandem with your AC and allow them to efficiently circulate the cool air it produces. Additionally, if the weather in your area cools down at night, simply open some windows and let your fans distribute the cool outdoor air throughout your home. You can also give your ceiling fans the ability to create downward-flowing cool breezes by setting the blades to spin counterclockwise.

If the ceiling fans in your home are showing their age or your residence lacks fans altogether, now would be the time to do some shopping. When seeking out suitable fans, you’ll need to take the size of your home, your general décor scheme and the amount of available ceiling space into account. Fortunately, with fans available in a seemingly endless array of sizes and styles, finding the right ones for your home shouldn’t be a challenge. Furthermore, if you’re interested in fans that double as light sources, make a point of searching for ceiling fans with lights.

Experiment with Oven-Free Recipes

Summertime oven use can contribute to high indoor temps, particularly in smaller residences. In addition to creating more heat, over usage stands to increase the burden on your air conditioning system and other home cooling aids. Needless to say, this is hardly conducive to energy-efficiency.

With this in mind, make an effort to limit oven use this summer, especially during daylight hours. If you absolutely must use your oven, try to do so after the sun has gone down. While you may understandably regard the prospect of preparing meals without an oven as a cause for dread, you’re likely to change your tune after seeing just how many oven-free summertime recipes are floating around the web. Additionally, if you’re a fan of outdoor barbecuing, consider using this as an opportunity to try your hand at some new grill-based recipes.

Get Rid of Incandescent Light Bulbs

Traditional incandescent light bulbs can be a hindrance to energy-efficiency and your home cooling efforts. For starters, they consume more power than their energy-efficient alternatives, thereby contributing to higher electricity costs. Secondly, they burn hotter and give off more heat than CFL or LED bulbs, thereby contributing to uncomfortably warm indoor temperatures. As such, making the jump to energy-efficient bulbs can help keep your home cool throughout the summertime.

If you’re still tempted to purchase incandescent bulbs because of their lower price tags, you should be aware that these savings are strictly short-term. Due to their comparatively short lifespans and high energy consumption, sticking with incandescents is liable to prove more expensive than embracing energy-efficient light bulbs.

Be Mindful of Sunlight

The more sunlight finds its way into your home, the warmer your home is likely to become. As such, it’s in your best interest to keep sunlight at bay – at least during the sun’s peak hours. You can do this by keeping your curtains, drapes or blinds securely closed. If your window dressings are too thin to effectively keep the sun out, consider equipping your windows with blackout curtains and/or sun-blocking screens. The former can also prove helpful at sealing in cool air and preventing warm air from entering.

For many households, energy-efficiency is an afterthought in relation to home cooling. The hotter the weather, the more likely people are to go straight for the AC. After all, people are often hard-pressed to think of a more effective cooling aid than a high-quality air conditioning system. Fortunately, cooling your home throughout the summertime without overusing your AC or draining your finances is much easier than you may expect. So, if energy-efficiency and cost-effectiveness are among your foremost priorities this summer, consider the advice detailed above.