5 Free Tips to Keep Your Cool at Home this Summer

Today is the first day of summer.  The AlabamaWISE community energy program empowers Alabama families to maintain healthy and comfortable homes and save on utility bills. Here are 5 simple, no cost ways to keep your cool indoors this summer so you can enjoy that icy glass of sweet tea in comfort.

Block Solar Heat Through Windows – Shade windows that receive direct sun to avoid the greenhouse effect. Windows on the east, southeast, west and southwest walls of a home receive direct sunshine during morning and afternoon. The glass acts like a greenhouse to capture the sun’s heat inside the home. Close blinds or drapes when sun is shining through a window to block out the summer solar heat.

Turn Off the Heat from Lights – 20 standard 75 watt light bulbs generate as much heat as an electric space heater. Take advantage of indirect window light and use white shades to reflect most of the sun’s energy back outside when the sun in shining in, so a small portion diffuses through the window covering to illuminate the room. Replace old fashioned bulbs with cool light from CFL or LED lighting to save energy and lower your utility bill. Look for CFLs with instant utility rebates to save money.

Get the Heat Out of the Kitchen – Oven baking and stove top simmering produce lots of waste heat in your home. Most electric kitchens have recirculating vent hoods, so your air conditioner will need to remove cooking heat and moisture. Use a microwave oven or grill outdoors instead. Don’t forget to use free energy from the sun to make sun tea instead of brewing it indoors.

Vent Hot Humid Air Out of the House – Run your bathroom vent fan for 20 minutes after showering to exhaust warm, moisture-laden bathroom air outside. Moist, humid air is a form of heat, so eliminating it from your home will save extra work for your air conditioner and reduce mold growth, too.

Be Cool with Energy Star Ceiling Fans – Air movement from ceiling fans will make a room feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler, so a thermostat set point of 78 will feel like 72. An Energy Star rated ceiling fan is one of the most cost effective ways to lower your summer utility bills and feel more comfortable too. Turn the fan off when you leave the room to save energy.