The Greenest Ways to Keep Your Home Cool in Summer

If you’re someone who tries to be energy efficient, then there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve been looking for some ideas on how to keep your house cool during the summer months in the “greenest” ways possible. Yet when the temperatures are absolutely scorching, we can understand why it might be tempting to turn your central air unit on blast now and deal with the consequences of having a ridiculously high electricity bill later.

However, before you succumb to that temptation, we wanted to provide you with a few proven ways that you can keep your home cool this summer while remaining eco-friendly in the process. If you’re curious about how you can make that happen, keep reading.

Turn the lights off more. During the nighttime, we get why you need your lamps and overhead lighting; however, if you happen to be home during the day, there’s a pretty good chance that you don’t. Something that a lot of people don’t realize is that light bulbs tend to generate a considerable amount of heat, so if you don’t need your lights on, it really is best to keep them off.

Cook outdoors. We’ve all got to eat, right? Yet when we’re using our stoves to do it, that can cause the temperatures in our homes to go up as much as 10-15 degrees. One way to avoid that is by grilling outside instead of frying or baking indoors. As an added bonus, you’ll be using less electricity to prepare food on the grill in the process.

Purchase some thermal curtains. If you’re looking to do a bit of interior decorating this summer, consider purchasing some thermal curtains for your window treatments. They are designed in such a way that they actually reflect the heat from the outdoors rather than absorb it. If you use them along with a ceiling fan or two, you will definitely notice a difference in your home.

Sleep in the basement. As a lot of us know, heat rises, so if you want to go someplace where it’s the coolest in your home, there’s a pretty good chance that it’s going to be your basement. If you don’t have a basement, just keep in mind that going to the bottom level of your home is where you’re going to find the most comfort.

Plant more trees (and bushes). If you were to ask an HVAC company like the Carrier Corporation to provide you with some tips on how to keep your home cool in a “green” way, one thing that they might recommend you do is plant more trees and bushes around your home. Although this can cause the landscaping to become more aesthetically appealing, there are two other reasons why this is a smart thing to do. For one, it actually serves as a bit of extra insulation for the home as it protects the outside of the house from the sun’s rays. Secondly, by planting a tree by the outdoor part of the unit, the shade can help to keep it from working so hard, which will result in you having lower energy bills. Awesome.