Summer brings many joys to everyday life. The sun is shining, vacations are enjoyed, and nature is blooming.
But one thing the summer brings that isn’t a fan favorite is the heat.
During those hot summer days, it is most tempting to crank your AC down and bask in the cool air. As you know, this gets expensive, and good AC ain’t cheap.
You want to keep your home cool and comfortable, but you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars in energy bills each month during the summer.
Lucky for you, we have some tips to help keep your home cool and save you money at the same time.
As a San Antonio home remodeling company since 1989, Southwest Exteriors is here to answer all your questions, from renovation projects to home tips to interior and exterior design.
Because we’re South Texas homeowners ourselves, we understand the struggle of high energy bills as a result of cooling your home down.
We want to provide you with helpful tips to input around your home to make it more energy efficient, keep it cool, and hopefully lower those energy bills.
9 Tips To Cool Your Home And Use Less AC
While sunshine is a blessing, and we wouldn’t survive without it, it has its pros and cons during the summertime. It makes things hotter, can burn our skin, and damage our furniture.
Here are nine tips to improve the efficiency of your home, run your AC less, and keep you cool during the summer.
#1. Keep blinds, shades, and curtains closed during peak sun exposure
During hot summer days, one of the best ways to insulate your home and keep it cool is to keep your blinds, shades, shutters, and curtains closed, especially when direct sunlight hits your windows.
By keeping your window coverings closed, you limit sun exposure to the interior of your home, which causes the temperature to increase.
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to turn your home into a storm bunker. Be sure to keep your blinds closed when the sun is directly on your windows for maximum protection.
#2. Minimize the use of heat-generating appliances
Did you know that using your oven, drying unit, or any appliance that emits heat can drastically increase the temperature of your home?
While it may be near impossible to never use these machines during the summer, finding alternate options can help keep your home cooler.
For cooking, try using a microwave or air fryer for faster cooking and less heat use. You can also air dry clothes the old-fashioned way with a classic clothesline and clothespins.
#3. Keep ceiling fans strategically running
Keeping your ceiling fans on, especially during the hottest hours of the day, will help air circulate through your home, helping the air feel less still, muggy, and humid.
Your fans will also help disperse cool air throughout your home when the AC is running. This will make your entire home more comfortable and better regulate the temperature.
#4. Invest in oscillating fans
Are your ceiling fans just not cutting it? Adding oscillating floor fans will further help your home’s air circulation and help you cool off.
Plus, using floor fans can help you feel cooler faster, especially when coming home after bearing the summer heat.
#5. Ensure windows and doors are fully closed and sealed
One of the sneaky enemies that let heat into your home is when your windows and doors aren’t fully closed or sealed properly.
Leaving any window or door open allows the hot air from outside easily intrudes on your cool interior. If you leave windows or doors open during the summer months, you will run your AC unit more often, costing you more in energy bills.
Along with keeping windows and doors closed, ensure they are also properly sealed. Any peeling or failing caulk can also allow heat to get into your home, making your home less energy efficient.
#6. Clean and maintain air conditioning units and vents
Cleaning your air conditioning unit and vents around your home will help them run more efficiently, meaning you won’t have to run them as much.
Monitor, clean, and replace your air filters at least once a month to ensure your AC is functioning properly and effectively.
Additionally, keeping your AC unit clean will improve the air quality of your home, so you may notice dust and allergens decrease when incorporating this into your routine.
#7. Install outdoor awnings above windows and patio doors
If you’re looking for a solution to help keep your home cool and enhance your home’s exterior, consider installing outdoor awnings above windows and glass doors that get the most sun.
Outdoor awnings will help create shade over areas that receive more sun than others. The shade created from the outside will minimize the sunlight that comes through your windows.
This will, in turn, decrease the amount of heat your home gets from the sun and keep your home cooler.
#8. Consider adding landscaping for added shade
Similar to installing outdoor awnings, adding new landscaping outside your home will provide it with more shade and protection from the sun and elevate your exterior.
Whether you are an avid landscaper or would rather hire a professional, planting new trees or large plants to block sunlight from windows and doors will help keep your home cool and more comfortable.
#9. Program your AC unit
To lower your AC use and save money, program your thermostat to an energy-saving schedule.
For example, if you work all day or are typically out of the house, set your thermostat to run warmer during the day when you aren’t there. Then, you can cool your home in the evenings to make it comfortable for you.
This will help you save on energy costs and make your home smarter.
Improving The Efficiency Of Your Home While Saving Money
Now that you know nine tips to keep your home cool during the summer without spending hundreds of dollars, you’re ready to improve the efficiency of your home and save money.
It can be difficult to try and lower your AC during the summer. You never want your home to become too hot, humid, and ultimately uncomfortable.
By maximizing shade around your windows and doors, keeping them closed, programming your AC unit, and much more, you can save money on energy costs while maintaining a comfortable environment.
Want to learn more tips on how to improve the energy efficiency of your home? Check out this article that outlines 16 simple ways to improve the efficiency of your home, save money, and conserve energy.
Want To Upgrade Your Home With Energy-Efficient Replacement Windows?
If these tips don’t seem to help cool your home, it may be time to replace your old windows with new, energy-efficient ones.
Southwest Exteriors offers the highest-quality replacement windows from Marvin, ProVia, Vistamark, and more for every San Antonio homeowner.
With our windows, your home won’t only be transformed with a new look, but you’ll notice the comfort of your home improve with lower energy bills.
Schedule your commitment-free consultation with an expert design consultant today and get the look you love coming home to!