Temperatures are rising as we move into the summer peak here in Victoria, and families are naturally taking note of just how much they’re running their A/C during the day. If you’re growing a little worried about what your summer utility bills are going to look like come the end of February, then it’s well worth evaluating your home cooling habits and finding ways to optimise your energy consumption rates on our hottest days of the year.
Here are just a few quick and easy, low-budget ways you can keep your home and family cooler this summer.
Use your A/C as efficiently as possible
If you haven’t cleaned your A/C vents out after spring and pollen season, then now is the time to do so. Not only can clogged A/C vents negatively affect the air quality in your home, they can also result in your A/C unit failing to operate at peak efficiency. This in turn, leads to higher energy bills without even keeping your home cool.
You’ll save money by staying proactive about your A/C maintenance and repairs. But if you have left your servicing a little longer than recommended, then never fear – you can also call your local emergency electricians to perform necessary repairs in a pinch (i.e. if your A/C unit starts showing signs of serious damage that will require urgent assistance).
Update your insulation for temperature regulation
Another element of using your A/C efficiently is simply making sure the cool air doesn’t dissipate too quickly. Here, investing in robust insulation that includes sealing gaps across windows and doors, can help trap your cool air inside the home, supporting your interior environments in maintaining their temperature more consistently, and thus, keeping your A/C usage more sustainable.
If your insulation has been updated and the cool air is still leaving your home before you can really enjoy it, then it may be worth closing blinds to prevent heat transfer (aka, when heat disperses through the glass of your windows). West-facing windows can seep harsh evening heat into your home faster than you might expect, which is why your house can end up feeling even hotter than outdoors on summer nights.
Open windows at night for cross-ventilation
If your house does have a tendency to get uncomfortably warm in the evenings, consider simply opening a few windows to allow some of the cooler evening air to filter in and balance out your interior temperatures. This is a great way to help you actually attain a restful night’s sleep on particularly balmy summer evenings.
Note, you don’t have to keep your windows open all night as you sleep either. Simply opening your windows for a few hours before bedtime is all that’s needed for adequate cross-ventilation. From here, simply keep that cool evening air circulating by using a ceiling fan or oscillating standing fan on a low setting while you sleep.
Keep blinds drawn on hot and sunny days
We did touch on heat transfer through windows earlier, but it’s important to keep in mind that this phenomenon doesn’t happen on summer evenings. As soon as the sun hits high noon, your west- and north-facing windows will become heat traps, so on 30+ degree days, why not just keep these blinds drawn all day long?
This simple proactive measure can help drastically reduce the total heat transfer that takes place on any hot summer day, which means that your home’s interior temperature will actually be cooler as the sun begins to set.
Yes, this sadly also means you won’t get to enjoy much natural light at home outside of the morning sun – but a little gloominess is a small price to pay to keep the home cool without running the A/C! Passive cooling = $$ saved.
Use pet cooling mats to provide relief when needed
Have some lethargic pets lounging about the house this summer? Sadly, our furry friends can find it tricky to regulate their body temperatures in summer, so making sure water bowls stay filled is a must, alongside ensuring pets have access to shade on hot and sunny days.
For especially fluffy pets or even senior animals, it can also be wise to keep some gel-based pet cooling mats on-hand to help lower their body temperature and prevent heatstroke. These can also be used outdoors for backyard pets or even in the car if you’re planning to take your pet out for a beach day. Remember that interior car temperatures can reach upwards of 40-50+ degrees on even 30+ degree summer days, and even just minutes of exposure to those levels of heat can result in heatstroke.
Keep plenty of ice and chilled water in the fridge
Just as you should make sure pet water bowls stay full all throughout the season, so too should you make sure your own hydration levels are taken care of. A great way to do this is simply by keeping your ice cube trays full up in the freezer to pop in your water bottle before leaving the house, and also storing a jug of water in your fridge so you’ve always got some refreshing, chilled water available at home.
Or conversely, if it may be time to upgrade your fridge, why not grab a plumbed fridge which allows for automatic ice and water dispensing? These can be particularly useful for families with younger kids who want to promote drinking water over fruit juices and fizzy drinks.
Seek refuge outdoors on extra hot days
Finally, a great last ditch effort to avoid using the A/C at home can involve just leaving home altogether. You can find great A/C in public spaces like shopping centres and libraries that you can enjoy without even having to pay a cent. So if you’re tempted to get out and about during the summer holidays with the kids, take a hot day as the perfect excuse to plan a little excursion.
And if you don’t want to leave the house, then you can at least take the party out into your backyard! If you’ve got a broad sailshade or even a tall tree to sit under, you can swap your stuffy interiors for a breezier lie out in your garden as the kids play. Just make sure they’re wearing sunscreen!
Keep the heat at bay with these easy home cooling tips
Beating the heat doesn’t have to involve breaking the bank. You don’t need to run your A/C for all hours of the day, and nor do you need to renovate your home to include passive cooling design features. Even simple measures like using your blinds or shades as needed, popping a few cooling mats around the house, and even just opening your windows let the breeze in in the evening, can help keep your home’s interior temperature nice and balanced on those hot summer nights.
So on our next 30+ degree days (which are really just around the corner!), try keeping these easy tips in mind to help you and your household stay cool for less.
