Space cooling can account for around 45% of your monthly energy bills. That’s why you shouldn’t underestimate the usefulness of your home’s natural cooling. Know that there are numerous tactics you can opt for instead of turning your AC on. Some of them are described below:
1. Repel the heat with insulation
Good insulation plays a vital role in cooling yourself during hot days, especially if your property is old. Meanwhile, a well-insulated home will slow the heat loss during the winter days when temperatures plummet to subzero. Even the tiniest cracks and gaps could become the arch-nemesis of your comfort when the temperatures rise. They can occasionally appear on the external walls, around the window frames, pipework, joint services, etc., letting the hot and damp air enter your home.
The best you can do is assess and care for your damaged surfaces. To repel the heat in summer and cold in winter, fill up every crack with silicone caulk or use insulating foam. When renovating, take time to check your attic insulation quickly. If your visual inspection points to under-insulated attic levels, for example, insulation is below the attic joists, unevenly disturbed, or there are rodent pathways, consult with a professional to assess the problem and add more insulation. Remember to add insulation for your house walls facing the afternoon sun.
2. Ensure proper ventilation throughout your home
Instead of wasting energy and paying higher bills, open the doors and windows to let the fresh air flow around your home early in the morning and evening. It’s an easy way to remove dust, odours, moisture, gases, particles, and smoke and thus reduce the weight of the scorching heat. With open doors, swaying leaves from the surrounding trees can further let fresh air inside the house and cool it naturally instead of turning the air conditioner on.
3. Hang blackout curtains to keep the sunlight away
Window covers can have many different functions than adding an aesthetic touch to your home. For instance, they can regulate the temperature, keep the light out and soundproof your room from external noise. When you want to insulate your home and block the direct sunlight during the day, opt for blackout curtains to reflect the light out of your room. These curtains can serve another purpose. They can keep the heat in your home during the winter. Both circumstances will help you reduce energy costs and up to 10% of your energy consumption.
Our best handyman advice is to hang your curtains as close as possible to the ceiling and the floor. This will prevent heat from escaping and make your home cosier during the coldest days.
4. Invest in thermal insulated blinds
Install thermal insulated blinds to achieve energy savings throughout the year without turning your AC on. They are the energy-saving solution to reduce your window heat gain and loss during hot and cold days. Not only will you keep your home insulated 365 days per year, but you will also reduce furniture fading and increase privacy while enhancing the comfort of every bedroom or living room.
5. Think about the installation of LED lights
Another great way to defeat heat sources is to use sustainable lighting solutions. If you still use old-style incandescent bulbs, it’s time to forget about them. Incandescent bulbs are not only high-wattage but produce heat to a large extent (90%), while the emitted light is only 10%. Also, if you replace just one bulb with an LED one, your monthly electricity bill will drop by 13 kWh!
Matching LED lighting and dimmers offer more energy-saving benefits. Dimming the LED bulbs reduces the flow of electricity to the lamp, increases the LED bulb lifespan and creates the perfect romantic mood during hot summer nights.
6. Create a cold zone area
Building an exterior sunshade could achieve your “best” comfort. It’s a great way to ensure natural shading in the summer while reducing energy waste and the ecological footprint. With a retractable shade, you can block sunlight and heat from entering during the hottest summer hours. Not to mention, it will save on energy costs at the end of the month.
7. Take away the carpets and upholstery
The key to reducing energy consumption and naturally cooling yourself might be right under your feet! When you walk over a carpet, it can’t remove the heat from your feet, which makes you feel warmer. That’s why a practical and easy solution is to take all carpets and rugs to the closet. Bring them out again in the cold season when you need their warmth again. It’s quite an inexpensive way to feel cooler underfoot without even turning the air conditioner on.
8. Limit the time spent on cooking
Wherever possible, avoid turning on your stove or grill. Summer is a great time for quick and easy recipes, most not requiring an oven or stove. For best results, move your kitchen to the outside (e.g. garden, terrace or balcony) to avoid generating extra heat at home. Or try to use a microwave, toaster or other small appliances.
Another solution is to use solar ovens. The only “fuel” needed to power them is the sun turning them into a stylish, green and simple way to cook without turning your kitchen into a hellish place. Making use of sustainable cooking appliances will help you maintain a cooler temperature in the house without using up electricity.
9. Avoid using heat-generating appliances
Running your hair driers, irons, laundry, washing machine, and many other appliances is not smart during the hottest days. Sometimes, their use can’t be avoided. But when possible, why not take advantage of the sunbeams instead of wasting energy and raising household expenses?
Moreover, be warned that laundry is the second-largest energy consumer after the fridge. So, instead of throwing away a ridiculous amount of money, just expose your clothes to direct sunlight and let them dry naturally outside. The best is that when you put them on, you will enjoy the fresh spring/summer smell throughout the day!
10. Turn your windows into sustainable solar panels
Our most significant exposure to the sun is through the windows. They are the primary source of heat generation throughout the year.
No worries if you have big windows. Fortunately, double-paned windows are a great solution to make your home energy-efficient and keep the heat out during the summer and warm during the winter. And if you fit a solar control film to your existing glazing, it will help to save on your energy bills significantly and screen out the sun.
Conclusion
We all know that going without air conditioning or using it sparingly is powerfully good for the environment. But in the heat of summer, when you’re suffering from high humidity, it can be tough to keep cool without air conditioning. We hope the above simple ideas help you stay cool without air conditioning and make the most of your summer.
