Skip to Content

Tips for Reducing Cooling Costs While Staying Breezy This Summer

low-cost summer family fun ideas a bunch of kids dumping buckets of water on their dad in a park Middle Class Dad

Although the return of summertime is typically regarded as something to be celebrated, the same can hardly be said for the return of massive energy bills. As wages continue to stagnate, cost of living continues to rise – and heating and cooling costs are far from an exception. Luckily, reducing summertime cooling costs while keeping your home nice and breezy doesn’t have to run you ragged. Employing the following home-cooling solutions this summer can help ensure maximum comfort – and maximum savings.

Invest in Good Ceiling Fans

Every household should be equipped with reliable ceiling fans, as the absence of such fans is practically guaranteed to increase summertime cooling costs. So, if your current ceiling fans have seen better days or your residence is bereft of fans altogether, now would be the time to act.

High-quality ceiling fans can aid your cooling efforts in a number of ways. First off, they can work in tandem with air conditioning by efficiently circulating the cool air it produces throughout every area of your home. Secondly, by adjusting their blades to spin counterclockwise, you can enable ceiling fans to produce downward-flowing cool breezes without any assistance from AC. Furthermore, in areas where summer temps cool down during the nighttime hours, opening some windows and allowing ceiling fans to distribute naturally cool air can provide first-rate overnight comfort.

When shopping around for the right ceiling fans, you’re likely to find no shortage of options from which to choose. Dependable ceiling fans come in a seemingly endless variety of sizes and styles, so regardless of how large your residence is or how much ceiling space you have to work with, you should have no trouble finding fans that are perfectly suited to your needs. Additionally, if you’re also in the market for new light fixtures, consider purchasing ceiling fans with lights.

Keep Curtains and Blinds Closed During the Day

Although the sun can serve as a great source of natural lighting, this convenience can come at a cost – especially during the summer months. The more sunlight that finds its way into your residence, the hotter your indoors temperatures are likely to be. You can combat this by keeping curtains, blinds and other window dressings closed throughout the day, especially during the sun’s peak hours.

Additionally, if your home is located in a spot that receives a considerable amount of direct sunlight, you may want to consider investing in special window dressings. As the name implies, sun-blocking curtains, drapes and blinds are designed for the purpose of minimizing the amount of sunlight that finds its way into your residence. Furthermore, if you’re someone who gets their best sleep in total darkness, equipping your bedroom windows with sun-blocking curtains can be a great way to fight back against the early sunrises that are synonymous with summertime.

If you’re not big on the idea of replacing your current window dressings, consider outfitting your windows with sun-blocking blackout screens. These screens are easily affordable and very easy to install, especially when dealing with the stick-on variety. The downside, of course, is that these screens are typically single-use. While many of them will remain on your windows for long periods, they generally can’t be reattached after being removed.

Minimize Daytime Oven Use

If you’re fond of cooking and other culinary pursuits, the prospect of limiting oven use is liable to strike you as unthinkable. However, since using your oven stands to increase indoor temps – especially in smaller residences – you’d be wise to consider putting the brakes on daytime oven use throughout the summer months.

Fortunately, there are a mouthwatering variety of oven-free summertime recipes that can be prepared without an oven. Furthermore, if you have an outdoor grill, limited oven use may be the perfect excuse to step up your barbecue game.

Excessive cooling costs are likely to put a damper on any elation you’re feeling in relation to the arrival of summer. During this time of year, funds that could be put towards enjoyable summer activities, exciting travel excursions or other leisurely pursuits are instead used to keep residences comfortably cool. While there’s no denying the necessity of a cool home during the summer months, maintaining one doesn’t have to entail breaking the bank – especially if you put the info outlined above to good use.

 

Jeff Campbell