How to Cool Your House Without Air Conditioning to Save Money
3 August 2006MSN Money has a great article out called 25 Cheap Ways to Keep Your House Cooler. What I like about this article is that unlike most others that focus on just how to save money on your electric bill, this one looks at how to keep your house cool cheaply – so it’s not just about turning down the air conditioning and suffering in the heat. It actually gives you alternatives and little things you can do to keep yourself cool without spending as much.
Some of the better tips:
Don’t place lamps or TVs near your air conditioning thermostat. The heat from these appliances will cause the air conditioner to run longer.
Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house. Close curtains on south- and west-facing windows during the day.
Deciduous trees planted on the south and west sides will keep your house cool in the summer. Just three trees, properly placed around a house, can save between $100 and $250 annually in cooling and heating costs. Daytime air temperatures can be 3 degrees to 6 degrees cooler in tree-shaded neighborhoods.
Using light shingles on a new roof can cut the amount of heat the house absorbs. Repainting in a light color, especially south- and west-facing exterior areas, helps as well.
Some of these will require putting up a little money to save more in the long run – but if you know you’re going to be at your house for awhile, it’s smart to use these tips. If you’re in a hotter part of the country, and are familiar with paying several hundred dollars in the August heat, the savings will be well worth it.
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