Skip to content

Four Ways to Keep Your Home Cool Without Breaking the Bank

Posted by: Joe Schwartz

Published: June 3, 2021

The temperatures are starting to rise but that doesn’t mean your energy bill has to rise with them. When it starts getting hot outside, it’s easy to crank up the air conditioning and enjoy the chilled air, but it's hard to enjoy the costs that come with it. There are plenty of smart steps you can take to help keep yourself cool on a scorching day without breaking the bank.

Invest in Ceiling Fans

Yes these may require a large upfront cost, but a quality ceiling fan is fantastic for keeping the air in a room circulating and prevents the air from becoming too heavy. When comparing a ceiling fan and an air conditioning unit left on continuously, the fan uses 4600% less energy. Think about how much that will save over the course of a month. Along with ceiling fans, strategically placed standing fans or window fans can keep your whole home at a comfortable temperature for a fraction of the cost. Finally, make sure your fans’ blades are blowing air in the right direction. This may seem obviously, but many ceiling fans actually have a switch to reverse the direction of the blades. There is a chance that your ceiling fan may actually be pushing the air toward the ceiling instead of toward you.

Check Your Attic’s Insulation

If your home is poorly insulated, you can lose up to 40% of your cold air through the attic. That means that you’ll use more and more energy to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. Like ceiling fans, properly insulating your home will require an upfront cost, but you’ll see an almost immediate return on the investment when you check your energy bill.

Plant Trees in the Right Places

Often known as “Shade Trees”, it’s common practice to strategically plant trees in locations that will block or dampen the amount of sun that will get through windows. Some cases have reported that shade trees have reduced the temperature in a home by 20 degrees, and lowered the energy cost by 40%.

Install Drapes, Curtains and Blinds

Similar to the shade trees, having blackout curtains or drapes can greatly reduce the temperature in a home. By controlling the amount of sun that gets in, you’ll gain the ability to dictate the temperature with more accuracy.

Air conditioning is a great home feature that can help us stay comfortable inside despite how hot and humid it is outside. By following some of the above tips, you can enjoy your air conditioning at a much lower cost so you won’t be sweating your energy bill. Plus, with Doyle Security’s home automation, you can adjust your home’s thermostat remotely from any smart device. When you’re heading home from the office after a long day of work, use your phone to cool your home down so it’s nice and chilled upon your arrival.

Share this post:

Author

Joe Schwartz

Joe is a Marketing Specialist for Doyle Security responsible for online content management.

SIGN UP FOR THE DOYLE SECURITY BLOG!