Temperatures have skyrocketed in the past few summers. All seven of the warmest years on record have occurred in the past seven years, and the average global temperature during the summer of 2021 was 2.6 degrees Farenheit warmer than the 20th-century average.
Heatwaves and hot patches are a major cause of concern if you are a climate-conscious homeowner. A warming world hastens the oncoming climate catastrophe, and cooling your house during the summer months usually results in a hefty electricity bill.
Fortunately, there are a few summertime home hacks to help you save energy, money, and the planet.
How Much Energy Do You Use?
Before you begin your crusade to cut down on energy use, you have to figure out how much energy you are using. This will help you set goals and track your energy usage over time.
For context, the average American uses 10,972 kWh a year — that’s 914 kWh of energy per month. Around 12% of those 10,972 kWh are attributable to air conditioning. That means the average American uses 1,316 kWh on AC alone every year.
Tracking the amount of energy your AC unit uses can help you establish your next steps. If you are dramatically above the 1,316 kWh average, then perhaps you need to replace your AC unit and/or its filters. If you are under the average, then it might be a good idea to think about hacks like passively cooling your home to further reduce your energy use.
Passively Cooling Your Home
Have you ever been to a shotgun home in the South and noticed a cooling breeze? Well, that’s intentional. Many homes used to be built with cross ventilation in mind, and shotgun houses reigned supreme for their ability to catch a cooling breeze that gently wafted through the whole home.
Even if your home isn’t designed to catch a breeze, you can still cool your home passively without running the AC. Common-sense cooling includes opening windows, doorways, and skylights during the morning to capture the cool dawn air and closing them when the temperature starts to rise.
You can also make use of AC alternatives like those being experimented with by researchers at the California Academy of Sciences. For example, try placing an earthenware pot of water near an open window to make use of evaporative cooling. Or, if you want to undertake a larger project, consider installing a ground source cooling system that takes advantage of the earth’s natural coolness.
Tint Your Windows
Passively cooling your home with a crosswind is great if you live in the countryside or on a spacious street. However, if you live in a crowded urban space, you’ll know that a stiff breeze is hard to come by.
Instead, consider tinting your windows. This will keep the sun from blasting inside and offers you the bonus of extra privacy. Window tinting still allows you to see outside, making tinting an easier option than drawing the blinds or pulling the curtains in the middle of the day.
You don’t have to tint all your windows to cool your home, either. Just tinting a few windows with carbon or infrared rejection tint can result in a net cooling in your home while you can still enjoy the natural light which pours into your living spaces.
Choose an Eco-Friendly Supplier
By now you’re probably in love with the idea of building an eco-friendly home that makes use of ground cooling, crosswinds, and natural elements to keep temperatures low. However, in reality, most homes aren’t designed to be cooled without the use of AC, and you might still need to run the unit during the summer.
Rather than feeling guilty about running your AC, try to find an energy supplier that shares your eco-friendly mindset.
Every state has a few different suppliers, so seek out an energy firm that offsets its carbon emissions, provides 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, and uses green gas instead of fossil fuels. These might sound like unrealistic demands, but green suppliers are out there and your purchasing power sends a message to larger suppliers who do not take sustainability seriously.
Old Energy Appliances
AC units are not the only appliances that use more energy during the summer months. Appliances like fridges and freezers consume more energy to keep your food cool while temperatures are high.
Most fridges last 10 years, but they may become less energy efficient towards the end of their lifespan. This is a major issue if you are trying to cut down on your energy bill, and can’t yet afford to replace your fridge or freezer.
You can help your fridge last longer by cleaning the condenser coils twice per year. This is fairly simple, and you’ll just need a vacuum to remove the buildup of dust. You should also pay attention to your fridge’s vents. The vents help ventilate your fridge but can become blocked with dust or dirt — a quick wipe down does wonders for your fridge’s longevity.
Conclusion
Hefty electricity bills during the summer can cause you to break a sweat, but even on the hottest days, you don’t necessarily have to cool your house with air conditioning. Instead, try to make maximum use of summertime home hacks like placing earthenware water bowls near windows and tinting your windows. If that isn’t working, don’t feel guilty about using the AC — just find an energy provider who shares your commitment to sustainability and offsets their carbon emissions.
