For most of us, air conditioning is a must in the summer. Trying to concentrate on anything while you are sweating is almost impossible, and when the air outside becomes like soup to walk through, most of us run inside to turn on the air conditioning.
Of course, that also means our energy bills ramp up, and if you also pay for heating in the winter, it may feel like you’re always paying too much. Fortunately, there are some great ways to save energy and keep your house a cooler place to be at the same time. Here are 5 ways you can save energy this summer.
- Place Your Air Conditioning Unit in the Room You’re Using
Depending on the layout of your home, try to efficiently cool one or two rooms, rather than your whole home. If you’re using a portable unit, you’re already saving energy over a complete home air system. Close the doors to any rooms you don’t need to use and just cool the portions of the home you need.
- Close Your Curtains Against the Sun
While it’s not much fun sitting in the dark, the sun coming in through the window on a hot day will ramp up the temperature inside, pushing your air conditioning unit to work harder and use more energy. Instead, close your curtains against the direct sun during the morning and afternoon.
- Use a Window Seal Kit
A window seal kit for portable air conditioning units allows you to keep the hose out of the window, without leaving the whole window open to suck the cool air out, let hot air in, and likely flies and mosquitos with it. A portable air conditioning window casement kit will allow you to move from room to room in your home and seal it effectively. Best of all, they are very affordable and come in a range of sizes, and will help your portable air conditioner cool the room much faster than without one.
- Use a Door Seal Kit
Just like the window seal kits mentioned above, you can find the same concept as a door seal. These kits make an effective hot air stop and act as an airlock against the world outside, meaning you can seal off your home and live in a nice, cool, energy-efficient environment.
- Use Fans
When your home is properly sealed and you’ve closed off the areas you don’t need to cool, use fans placed strategically to help circulate the air around your living space. Often, the air conditioning unit effectively cools its corner of the home, but it won’t effectively cool the open plan kitchen or another out of sight room. Instead, use fans to circulate the air so your whole living space is effectively cooled.