4 Ways to Stay Cool This Summer without Spending More

It’s one thing to be sweating outside on a cloudless summer day—it’s another entirely to be lying on the couch in your own home panting in the July heat. Even though you want to stay cool during the warm Calgary summers, using an air conditioner is often a trade-off: keeping your family cool can bite a huge chunk out of your wallet.

You can reduce energy costs without spending more by following these easy tips that will lower your energy bill, save some hard-earned cash, and keep your home cool without additional expense.

Block out the sun.

The sun heats up the glass of your windows, which then allows that heat to seep into the house. This means your air conditioning unit has to work even harder to keep the family cool. To prevent this, keep the shutters, shades, blinds, or curtains closed during the day to stop the sun’s heat from entering your house through the windows.

For a more long-term solution, when possible, planting trees or shrubs in front of windows creates natural, long-lasting window shade.

Take cold showers.

In the winter, icy showers are miserable—no one wants to take a frozen shower before braving a blizzard! However, in the summer, a cold (or even lukewarm) shower will cool you down naturally.

In the summer, lower your water heater’s normal temperature by a few degrees to use less energy and prevent the water heater from warming up your home as it burns gas.

Don’t bake—sauté.

You’ve probably noticed that whenever you turn on the oven, the entire house heats up along with it—which is bad news for your energy bill. When the oven is on, the air conditioner has to work even harder to cool down the house.

Sometimes you need the oven to bake that perfect birthday cake or to cook enough food for the entire family, but whenever possible, try sautéing your food on the stove top instead of using the oven. Cooking outside is also a good option that’s fun and spares the house from cooking heat.

Get professional regular maintenance.

Having an expert check your air conditioning unit at least once annually lowers costs overall. An air conditioner functioning at maximum efficiency isn’t bogged down by accumulated dust or allergens, so it can work faster and more efficiently. And that means you save money.