Rejoice, the summer months are almost here, and we have even flirted with August temperatures in the Midwest for a while now, enough that the air conditioning has been kicking on quite a bit. This could be a great time to check your home for efficiency to ensure that you do not have any outside heat coming in, causing the air to kick on more than it should.
Use a Programmable Thermostat
It’s hard to imagine any homes out there without a programmable thermostat, especially considering most out there now are even Wi-Fi that you can program on your phone, but I at least need to put it out there for those that may own an older home that do not have one. By setting the temperature higher during the day while you are work, and cooling in time for you to get home, and even cooler at night, it will make quite a difference instead of running all day and adding up your electric bill.
Seal Around Doors and Windows
It can be a little more tough to find drafts in the summer time compared to the winter when you can feel by hand the cold air coming inside, but for now, if you can walk around the house and make sure that doors and windows are sealed, and touch up with some caulk, you can notice a difference with the heat staying outside. Also, I have also noticed that if you check outlets on walls that are shared with the outside, you can put foam inserts behind the wall plate to cover any drafts, and also even plug the outlets with baby proof inserts.
Cook Outside
Nothing says summer like firing up the barbeque to cook up some burgers or steaks, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Moving the cooking from inside on the stove and oven to now outside on the grill you will save plenty off the air conditioning bill now that you will not be heating the entire house when you cook. Sure, this may be a great trick during the winter to give off some heat in the house, but it can be dreadful in the summer months when you are trying to keep cool. Crack open a beer outside and enjoy the summer air while you cook and leave heat out there.
Crank Up the Ceiling Fans
Living in a colonial home, the upstairs gets so much more hot upstairs, that cranking up the air and adjusting the vents still makes it cold on the first level and warm upstairs, so that every morning I typically woke up in a pool of sweat in the summer. Finally installing a ceiling fan has made a world of difference. Although it is not making the temperature cold in the bedroom, at least circulating the air can give a breeze that makes sleeping a little more comfortable without tossing and turning all night, and I actually find myself using a light sheet with the breeze going.
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