21 ways to keep cooler frugally
Sticker shock is about to arrive on our electric bill. We finally had to put in our final (fourth) air conditioner Tuesday. Number three went in Monday. Number two went in on the official first day of summer. (Number one, the big one, is permanently in the window.) We've never been able to wait this long before. Thank God for a cool, extended spring!
1. Cook and bake outside. Since the kitchen accounts for 80 percent of in-home heat production, we cook and even bake outside as much as possible. Last year, we picked up a turkey fryer on clearance. We boil and fry in it, using the least amount of oil possible. We've made cookies and pizza on the grill. We keep our rotisserie grill in a waterproof storage container outside and use it as much as possible.
2. Remove heat from laundry chores. I wash with cold water as much as possible and line dry many of our clothes. The dryer is essentially a spinning oven. Much of the heat will be vented, but some will remain in the house. Besides, we love the smell and feel of line-dried clothing. I tried line drying towels, but Hubby strongly objected. He said those towels were too scratchy! I try to run the dryer and dishwasher at night. Although we don't get this break, some places charge less for electricity used during off-peak periods.
3. Keep blinds drawn. Windows are solar heat engines. Keeping the curtains closed prevents the sun from heating your house. The drapes will reflect the light away, especially if you have light-colored backing. Enough light to see by will filter in. If you prefer to see out, as I do, open the curtains on the shady side of the house.
4. Close gaps. If you have air leaks around your windows and doors, you are letting out high-priced cold and bringing in heat. If light shows, you have an air leak. Weatherstripping is cheap compared to electricity. This is probably completely obvious, but keep your windows and doors shut when running the air conditioner. Why pay to cool the outdoors?
5. Use window fans. Once temperatures cool at night, open the windows, turn off the air conditioner(s) and turn on window fans. Fans cost less to operate than air conditioning. Set them to bring in cooler air. Wind chill factor adds to the cooling effect.
6. Plant shade trees. A Chinese proverb says the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now. A shade tree prevents the sun from hitting your house. For best results, plant on the south and west. Make sure to shade your air conditioner. A shaded air conditioner has to work less.
7. Install ceiling fans. Ceiling fans don’t cool the house, but they make it feel cooler. They pull cooler air off the floor and redistribute it. Make sure fan is spinning correctly. The leading edge should be higher than the trailing. Reverse the fan for winter to pull warm air off the ceiling.
8. Turn off the lights. Lights produce heat. Only use what you need. Fluorescent lights are cooler than incandescent ones.
9. Turn off the TV. Our TV is an old CRT model, which really cranks out heat. LCD models are cooler, but still produce heat. If you're not watching TV, you can be outside where it is (hopefully) cooler.
10. Go downstairs. Heat rises. Cold sinks. Need I say more?
I am indebted to That One Caveman for the rest of these suggestions.
11. Add insulation. Most homes are under-insulated. Insulation keeps interior temperatures in and exterior temperatures out.
12. Tint windows. If your windows can't be covered with blinds/curtains/drapes, tint them. Tinting will cut light and heat infiltration.
13. Keep your furnace filters clean. Check your filters at least once a month. Dirty filters make your air conditioner work harder. Harder work equals higher bills.
14. Relocate your air conditioner. If your air conditioner is in a sun-drenched area, move it if possible. Set it on the east side of your house, shaded from the baking afternoon sun. Your air conditioner will thank you with lower bills.
15. Give your air conditioner space. Provide 6 inches of clear space around the air conditioner’s sides and put nothing on its top. The air conditioner needs to move air for maximum heat dissipation.
16. Close unused vents. Unused/little-used rooms don’t need to be cooled to the same level as the ones you spend your time in. Why spend money on a place you don't use? Don't completely shut basement vents. Air conditioners remove humidity, which collects most in basements.
17. Turn up your thermostat. If you can handle it, every degree above 78 degrees saves six to seven percent on your bill.
18. Use a programmable thermostat. Caveman says, “It doesn’t make much sense to cool your home while you’re gone, but it’s hard to remember to tweak your thermostat every day before you leave for work. Program your thermostat to go up by five degrees about 30 minutes or so before you leave and have it come back to your normal temperature a half-hour before you return. For added savings, program it to also raise the thermostat by two or three degrees through the night. You’re unlikely to notice the change in your sleep.”
19. Run your furnace fan. If your furnace allows you to run its fan without using the heat or air conditioning, use it. The fan will balance out hot and cold spots to make the house more comfortable. Also, the filter traps allergens. Again, make sure to change the filter frequently.
20. Install an attic fan. The attic fan sucks in outdoor air as well as moving it. This only works in the evening since windows have to be open, but it generally makes sleeping very comfortable. Attic fans may pay for themselves in two years.
21. Scatter fans around the house. Electric fans are much cheaper to run than air conditioners. They move air, creating a wind chill effect, and circulate the cooler air that the air conditioner produces.
Cool your house for less
I am obsessive about keeping heat out of the house. Heat that never enters the house doesn't have to be removed.
1. Cook and bake outside. Since the kitchen accounts for 80 percent of in-home heat production, we cook and even bake outside as much as possible. Last year, we picked up a turkey fryer on clearance. We boil and fry in it, using the least amount of oil possible. We've made cookies and pizza on the grill. We keep our rotisserie grill in a waterproof storage container outside and use it as much as possible. 
2. Remove heat from laundry chores. I wash with cold water as much as possible and line dry many of our clothes. The dryer is essentially a spinning oven. Much of the heat will be vented, but some will remain in the house. Besides, we love the smell and feel of line-dried clothing. I tried line drying towels, but Hubby strongly objected. He said those towels were too scratchy! I try to run the dryer and dishwasher at night. Although we don't get this break, some places charge less for electricity used during off-peak periods.3. Keep blinds drawn. Windows are solar heat engines. Keeping the curtains closed prevents the sun from heating your house. The drapes will reflect the light away, especially if you have light-colored backing. Enough light to see by will filter in. If you prefer to see out, as I do, open the curtains on the shady side of the house.
4. Close gaps. If you have air leaks around your windows and doors, you are letting out high-priced cold and bringing in heat. If light shows, you have an air leak. Weatherstripping is cheap compared to electricity. This is probably completely obvious, but keep your windows and doors shut when running the air conditioner. Why pay to cool the outdoors?
5. Use window fans. Once temperatures cool at night, open the windows, turn off the air conditioner(s) and turn on window fans. Fans cost less to operate than air conditioning. Set them to bring in cooler air. Wind chill factor adds to the cooling effect.
6. Plant shade trees. A Chinese proverb says the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now. A shade tree prevents the sun from hitting your house. For best results, plant on the south and west. Make sure to shade your air conditioner. A shaded air conditioner has to work less.7. Install ceiling fans. Ceiling fans don’t cool the house, but they make it feel cooler. They pull cooler air off the floor and redistribute it. Make sure fan is spinning correctly. The leading edge should be higher than the trailing. Reverse the fan for winter to pull warm air off the ceiling.
8. Turn off the lights. Lights produce heat. Only use what you need. Fluorescent lights are cooler than incandescent ones.
9. Turn off the TV. Our TV is an old CRT model, which really cranks out heat. LCD models are cooler, but still produce heat. If you're not watching TV, you can be outside where it is (hopefully) cooler.
10. Go downstairs. Heat rises. Cold sinks. Need I say more?
I am indebted to That One Caveman for the rest of these suggestions.
11. Add insulation. Most homes are under-insulated. Insulation keeps interior temperatures in and exterior temperatures out.
12. Tint windows. If your windows can't be covered with blinds/curtains/drapes, tint them. Tinting will cut light and heat infiltration.
13. Keep your furnace filters clean. Check your filters at least once a month. Dirty filters make your air conditioner work harder. Harder work equals higher bills.14. Relocate your air conditioner. If your air conditioner is in a sun-drenched area, move it if possible. Set it on the east side of your house, shaded from the baking afternoon sun. Your air conditioner will thank you with lower bills.
15. Give your air conditioner space. Provide 6 inches of clear space around the air conditioner’s sides and put nothing on its top. The air conditioner needs to move air for maximum heat dissipation.
16. Close unused vents. Unused/little-used rooms don’t need to be cooled to the same level as the ones you spend your time in. Why spend money on a place you don't use? Don't completely shut basement vents. Air conditioners remove humidity, which collects most in basements.
17. Turn up your thermostat. If you can handle it, every degree above 78 degrees saves six to seven percent on your bill.
18. Use a programmable thermostat. Caveman says, “It doesn’t make much sense to cool your home while you’re gone, but it’s hard to remember to tweak your thermostat every day before you leave for work. Program your thermostat to go up by five degrees about 30 minutes or so before you leave and have it come back to your normal temperature a half-hour before you return. For added savings, program it to also raise the thermostat by two or three degrees through the night. You’re unlikely to notice the change in your sleep.”
19. Run your furnace fan. If your furnace allows you to run its fan without using the heat or air conditioning, use it. The fan will balance out hot and cold spots to make the house more comfortable. Also, the filter traps allergens. Again, make sure to change the filter frequently.
20. Install an attic fan. The attic fan sucks in outdoor air as well as moving it. This only works in the evening since windows have to be open, but it generally makes sleeping very comfortable. Attic fans may pay for themselves in two years.21. Scatter fans around the house. Electric fans are much cheaper to run than air conditioners. They move air, creating a wind chill effect, and circulate the cooler air that the air conditioner produces.
Labels: frugal living
posted by Roxie at
5:00 AM
1 Comments:
Large attic fans are amazing. I discovered our attic had a large fan. I saw a belt leaning against the wall and installed it. It fit the fan and the fan exhausts the heat out of the attic and pulls cool air in through all the windows on the 2nd floor below. The first floor tenants run their central air all the time. I haven't had to yet this year. It really works great and I can actually do work in the attic. It is still a little warm but before the heat was intolerable. This is about a 30 inch fan with louvers outside. Kinda old but still serviceable and reliable. I will service the motor to insure it runs for a long time as it has already. Amazing old tech. The house was built in 1948 and I imagine the fan has been up in the attic for much of that time.
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