Home Energy Saving Tips You Can Do Right Now – Cooling

Image by Attila con la cámara

A while back the guys on the forum put together a great list of energy saving tips. These are simple things that you can do pretty much right now, or maybe right after a quick run to the home improvement store for supplies. These aren’t huge projects that take weeks to complete. They also aren’t horribly expensive things to do. These are the basic and cost effective things you can do to cut those energy bills.

For the blog purposes, we’re going to break it down into sections because it is a fairly long list. Please keep in mind that this list was intended to grow over time as we think of new ideas. Feel free to recommend things to be added to the list.

In this article we’re looking at cooling tips. A lot of the heating tips are also applicable to cooling your house as well such as insulating ducting, dressing accordingly and more. So, make sure to check out that list too.

Cooling

• Turn the A/C thermostat temperature up as high as is comfortable, sometimes using the A/C just to dehumidify the house may be enough to be comfortable.
• Use blinds (good) or awnings (better) to block direct sunlight.
• Use reflective window film to block direct sunlight but still let light in the house.
• If possible, open the house up at night and use box fans in windows or a whole house fan to cool the house down instead of relying on the A/C.
• Install radiant barrier insulation in your attic.
• Place window A/C units on the north side of the house or any place where the sun does not shine on them.
• Use fans to allow you to increase the A/C temperature and still stay comfortable.
• Use solar screens to block more sun from entering through the window. This still provides light but reduces direct sun light and the heat it brings.

If you like, you can see the full list of 60+ home energy saving tips.