If you live in the midwest United States, keeping your home cool in the few hot months of summer may not have been your top priority when building or choosing a place to live. But as the temperatures reach what seems to be a consistant high 80’s to mid 90 degrees, cooling your home without emptying your wallet is probably starting to become a concern. Don’t worry- we’re here to give you some ideas on how you can live comfortably through these scorching weeks without pulling a second mortgage.
Strategy #1: Blackout Curtains
While letting light in through your windows during the day is undoubtedly a mood booster, it is counter-productive for the goal of our article today. On sunny days, light will cause your home’s temperature to climb naturally, so blocking it out is a great defense to make sure that your air conditioner doesn’t have to run constantly to battle that increasing temperature. Below are some of our top picks for blackout curtains on Amazon that can ship straight to your door and get that sunlight off of your floor.
Strategy #2: Avoid Using Appliances During the Day
This is one that you probably haven’t thought about before, but it’s a simple, no-purchase-necessary way to save money on energy bills and keep your home cooler. When you run heat-producing appliances (such as your dryer) during the daytime, air conditioning units have to work double time to combat the outside temperature as well as the heat being produced internally by your appliances. By waiting until temperatures have dropped outside, you can give your AC (and yourself) a break, saving money at the same time.
Strategy #3: Good-Old-Fashioned Electric Fans
Now for one that you’ve definitely thought about, but we’re here to preach the good word anyways. Fans are cheaper to run than your air conditioning, and they are extremely effective at keeping small areas cool. If you spend most of your time in one or two rooms in your house, invest in a couple of fans for those rooms. Whether they are ceiling-mounted or tower fans, these investments will help keep your electric bill affordable and your rooms a comfortable temperature. Check out some of our top picks for electric fans below.
Bonus Strategy: Check Your Air Conditioning Filters!
This is a simple but extremely effective way to make sure that your air conditioning isn’t stealing any more money from you than it needs to. Dusty air filters can inhibit your AC’s overall performance, meaning that you are paying more money for a less effective system. Seems like a no-brainer, right? But when was the last time you inspected your air conditioning filters? It’s always a good idea to give your unit a once-over before the summer heat wave hits, just to make sure everything is up to par so you can avoid unnecessary operating costs.