In times of extreme and variable weather, winters are becoming colder, and summers are getting hotter. It should come as no surprise, then, that keeping your home warm in winter and cool in summer is also becoming more expensive each year.
The rising concern over these costs is becoming a key worry for householders, who spend time at the end of autumn blocking drafts and closing doors to keep the heat in. Yet, what many do not realize is that it can cost just as much to keep your home cool in the summer as it does to keep it warm during winter.
With that in mind, here are the top 3 ways you can keep cool in the summer for less – all of with are low or no-cost solutions that won’t break the bank.
1. Stay cool, literally.
The first of these may seem obvious, but you’ll be surprised how many people just aren’t doing the basics. Simple steps like wearing cotton clothes (and fewer of them if you can) will make a difference, as well as a ready supply of cold drinks to keep you cool and hydrated (preferably water).
Eating cold food is also a good move as not only does it help with managing your temperature, it also means you are not generating extra heat in your home by cooking.
Keeping a damp cloth on your neck, or better still, regular cold showers work well here too. Lowering your body temperature even slightly makes all the difference when it comes to feeling the heat and then having to resort to turning the AC up to compensate.
2. Give your HVAC a helping hand
Whilst your HVAC does the job for most of the year, a hot summer can expose an older or inadequate system. There’s usually a room in the home where the unit is just not powerful enough to do the job without turning the rest of your home into a refrigerator and racking up the utility bills.
Instead of upgrading your current system, you could try adding an additional stand-alone PTAC as a cheaper solution that won’t break the bank. New units can be expensive, but a refurbished unit from a supplier like PTAC4Less is a far more economical solution.
3. Don’t let the heat in
Unlike winter, where you need to check for draughts and to keep the heat in, summer is a time where you need to keep your living spaces cool by keeping cold air in. You need to be ruthless in any areas where the cold air can escape or let warm air in.
This means, whatever the temptation, keeping windows closed and, wherever possible, keep blinds down. If you have ceiling fans, ensure they are pushing the cool air back down into your living space, and if that doesn’t seem to help, run them at a slightly faster speed.
All these are quick and simple solutions, as you can see, but they can make quite a difference to your happiness in summer and also your utility bills.
*****
From time to time, GraniteGrok accepts content from third parties (posts, or additional links after initial publication) from which we may or may not receive compensation.
