With the warm weather now upon us, it’s important to keep your home as naturally cool as possible. Not only does this save money on energy costs, but finding natural ways to do so is environmentally friendly, too!
Below are some of the best ways to keep your home – and your family – as cool as possible during these warm summer months.
Ensure Your Home’s Properly Insulated
Your home’s insulation is the best barrier to keeping heat from transferring inside. Ensure you have the appropriate roof and wall insulation to keep your home as cool as possible.
Use Proper Shades
Having proper window hoods and well-designed eaves can provide numerous benefits. Not only do they help keep out the heat during the summer months, but they can invite sun in during the cold winter months, too.
Insulated window films are an alternative to blinds and provide similar cooling benefits.
Large Openings Allow for Cross Ventilation
Having large openings throughout your home can help with replacing hot air inside with cool air from outside. In addition, the home’s inhabitants will perspire less as breezes help cool the body!
Have rooms that you don’t utilize often? Consider closing their doors to help direct cool air to the home’s more populated areas.
Make the most of the cooler temperatures at nighttime by opening the windows to allow a cross breeze. Just remember to close them in the morning before the heat comes in!
Install Water Features Around Your Home
Water features, ponds, and pools surrounding a home act like evaporative coolers. They absorb the air’s heat, thereby making it cooler before it enters your home.
More Trees = Cooler Temperatures
Like water features, plants and trees around a home can help keep your home cool using the effects of evaporative cooling.
Large trees to the west help reduce heat from the afternoon sun. In addition, plants can be used to shade walls and garden beds, and reduce the amount of paving needed.
Save on Energy Costs with Switchme!
Another great way to save on energy costs is to ensure your electricity provider is giving you the best rate possible. Switchme, New Zealand’s biggest nongovernment funded energy switching site, can help you compare other energy providers’ rates to your own. Use Switchme’s free, online calculator to find the best energy rate possible! Contact Switchme today for more details.
