keeping home cool

If you don’t have air conditioning or if you just want to keep your electricity bill down this summer, here are some ways to battle the heat in your home.

Curtains

Keeping your curtains closed, especially during mid day hours, keeps the hot sun out and the cool air inside.  Make sure that you close them before leaving for work in the morning.  Having light coloured curtains will attract the sun even less.

Lights

Leaving the lights on in your home consumes energy and also creates heat!  Keep lights off when you leave your place or in rooms that you are not using, especially when there is natural sunlight coming in.  If you can, install compact florescent lighting in your lamps instead of traditional incandescent lights.  These produce one fifth of the heat emanating from the light bulb itself and will help keep small rooms cooler.

Windows

Keep your windows closed during the day and open in the evenings when the temperature drops.  If you have windows in the front and back of your home, you can open both to create a draft of cool air.

Fans

Try placing a square fan in one of your windows to force the cool breeze from outside into your home.  Because of the shape of this fan, you can simply close the window frame on top of the fan to secure it in place.  Round, freestanding fans can be placed tilted downwards to circulate air indoors and the circulation of air from a fan can lower the temperature by 3 or 4 degrees.

Appliances

Appliances like washers, dryers and stoves are large appliances that produce a lot of heat.  Try to run these as little as possible during the day time when the degree differential will hit you hardest. Make some changes during the hot season like hanging your clothes on a line or rack to dry instead of running the dryer.

Dress Lightly & Stay Hydrated

Do your part in battling the summer heat by dressing lightly rather than expecting to stay cool in jeans and a sweater.  Taking a cool shower before bed can help your body cool down and relax and make sure to drink lots of water throughout your day.