In the hot Florida summer months, it’s easy to turn down the AC and put the fans on high. These tactics will certainly raise the roof on your electric bill. Fortunately there are some other ways to ease your cooling costs and keep you cooler. We have outlined 10 tips below to help you keep cool without breaking the bank.
10 Cooling Tips
1. Close your blinds | A large percent of unwanted heat comes from your windows. Shades and curtains can help lower your indoor temperatures by up to 20 degrees and better yet lower your electric bill.
2. Be smart about your doors | Closing off rooms will prevent the cool air from permeating these areas during the hottest part of the day. You’ll want to capitalize on the cooler night hours, too, letting air flow naturally through your home.
3. Swap your sheets | Not only does seasonally switching up your bedding freshen up a room, it’s a great way to keep cool. While textiles like flannel sheets and fleece blankets are fantastic for insulation, cotton is a smarter move this time of year as it breathes easier and stays cooler. And as an added bonus, buy yourself a buckwheat pillow or two. Because buckwheat hulls have a naturally occurring air space between them, they won’t hold on to your body heat like conventional pillows, even when packed together inside a pillow case.
4. Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise | Whether you know it or not, your ceiling fan needs to be adjusted seasonally. Set counter-clockwise in the summer at a higher speed, the fan’s airflow will create a wind-chill breeze effect that will make you and your guests “feel” cooler.
5. Focus on the temperature in your body, not the house | If your ancestors survived without air conditioning, so can you. From sipping tasty iced drinks to applying a cold cloth to your neck and wrists, cooling yourself from the inside out is not a bad idea. Be smart about your clothing choices.
6. Turn on your bathroom fans and the exhaust fan in your kitchen | Both of these pull the hot air that rises after you cook or take a steamy shower out of your home.
7. Heat-proof your bed | Go straight to the source, and put a cool-inducing Chillow under your head while you sleep. For feet, fill a hot water bottle and put it in the freezer before placing at the foot of your bed. Other alternatives include the Chillipad.
8. Ditch the incandescent lights | If you ever needed motivation to make the switch to CFLs, or compact fluorescent lamps, this is it. Incandescent bulbs waste about 90 percent of their energy in the heat they emit, so tossing them to the curb will make a small difference in cooling your home while lowering your electric bill.
9. Start grilling and Outdoor Cooking | It’s obvious, but we’re going to say it, using your oven or stove in the summer will make your house hotter. Enjoy your outdoor spaces during the summer.
10. Make a few long-term improvements. | You can make a couple changes to your home that will keep it cooler for seasons to come. Insulated and impact windows are highly rated for insulation value. Adding window films to existing windows can be a smart purchase as they work similarly to blinds. Adding awnings and planted trees in front of light-facing windows will shield your home from the sun’s rays.