Electricity bill got you down? Use these tips on how to cool your house without using the air conditioner to save money on utilities this summer.
Can you believe it’s already June? In some parts of the country, we are already experiencing triple-digit temperatures. Trying to balance keeping your home cool while not having a heart attack when the electric bill arrives isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes it’s downright impossible. Thankfully, there are a few tips you can use to help keep your house cool without using the air conditioner or at least using it as little as possible.
How to Cool Your House without Using the Air Conditioner
Pay Attention to the Weather
Almost all of us have access to television, smartphones, and the internet. Put these wonderful resources to use and pay attention to the weather. Every evening I look at my weather app to see what the overnight temperatures are going to be. If the temperatures are going to drop down overnight, then you best believe I’m keeping the windows open. Letting the cool air come in is free A/C and I like free! If you open your windows at night, close them when you wake up to trap that cool air inside.
If it looks like a heatwave is approaching start trying to cool down your home in advance. Keep the fans running and the drapes closed.
Keep the Drapes Closed
When your drapes, blinds, or shutters are open, you are letting sunlight in. When the temperatures are hitting triple digits, that sunlight can quickly heat up your home. Make sure to keep your shutters and drapes closed to keep your home as cool as possible. You could consider investing in black-out window coverings. Using black-out window coverings significantly decreases the amount of sunlight the inside of your home will receive.
Invest in Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are wonderful investments and not just for summer. During the winter ceiling fans come in handy by pushing the heat back down. If you don’t already have ceiling fans in your home, it might be time to consider making the investment. You can typically find ceiling fans at very affordable prices and they are very easy to install. You can find ceiling fans at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and even for free on Craiglist.
Plant Trees
If you don’t have a lot of shade around your home, make some. Plant trees and shrubbery that will keep your home shaded. Contact your electric company about free trees available to customers. Not too long ago my local electric company was offering free trees to anyone that wanted to add some shade to their property.
Say No to the Oven
Using your oven during the summer months will quickly make the temperatures in your home rise. Instead of using your oven, look into meals that don’t need to be cooked or use your crockpot. Getting outside and lighting up the barbecue is another great option, not to mention grilled food tastes so good!
Talk to a Professional
Bring in a professional to inspect your home for anything that could be making your home warmer than it needs to be. Your electric company might offer this service or contact a local A/C company. A quick inspection of your home could end up saving you hundreds of dollars per year.
What have you done to keep your house cool without using the air conditioner?
More Energy Saving Tips
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Alisha Hunt says
I live in north Carolina where the humidity alone kicks our Butts. It could be 85 and feel like 105. We live in a mobile home which is absolutely lovely but was put up in a hurry. So we have had issues with our ac since we moved in 12 years ago. We had it replaced but were scanned. What we bought was way too small for our home. That was two years ago. So we have learned to cope. Our solution is aluminum foil! Go to sally world and get a 300 sq ft roll of foil for around $10. Then in your home measure your windows width and tape the foil reflecting side out so the light bounces backwards. You cam do this on all windows or like we do on the ones the get the afternoon sun since it is the hottest. The change will amaze you. Use along with fans window units or even those little diy ac units.
mjskit says
Most homes in New Mexico use swamp coolers which are just a big fan that blows through a wet cooler pad. I love them and they work great until the temps reach 95, at which they just blow hot air. So we’ve been living without air conditioning for 40 years. Your list is right on! One that I’d like to add that works great for us, is to open some of the windows at night and let the cool night air in. Of course, we’re talking New Mexico where nighttime temps are normally in the 60s even if it’s 90+ during the day.