Everyone loves summer. The barbecues, the swimming pool parties, the outdoor concerts, what’s not to love about all that? While the summertime is a great time for relaxation and fun with friends and family, there is one thing that is a challenge to most everyone during this time of year – and that is staying cool!

Staying cool during the summer heat is a tough job, especially if you live in the southern states, where temperatures can run over 100 degrees for days on end. And of course, with increased temperatures, comes increased energy bills. The need to run the A/C is a must in order to function in our homes. But, there are some cost-effective ways to stay cool without having to crank up the A/C, and we’ve listed our top 4 tips below.

  1. Use Natural Light and High Efficient Lighting. A great way to keep cool is by using natural light instead of light bulbs. As we all know, light bulbs put out a lot of heat. If you’ve ever touched a bare bulb while it was on, you can feel it to the touch. Using natural light is a great way to bypass this heat source and keep any room cooler. If you must use light bulbs, use energy efficient bulbs, such as LED’s
  2. Don’t Cook – or Cook Outdoors. During the summer, try not to use the oven when it can be avoided. The oven produces a lot of heat and can cause your home to become much warmer. Try preplanning meals so that you don’t need an oven. You can cook on a grill, in a microwave, or in a crock pot – these are all cooler alternatives that using the stove.
  3. Use Ceiling Fans. Did you know that most ceiling fans have a small switch at the base of it that allows the direction of the fan to change. During the summer months, you want your ceiling fan to rotate counter-clockwise. This makes it blow forwards and forces the air down, making you cooler. Check out your fan base and see if there’s a switch and try it it out!
  4. Keep your blinds closed. Did you know that up to 30 percent of unwanted heat comes from windows? By utilizing curtains and window shades, you can drastically reduce the amount of heat that comes through the windows. Keeping windows unshaded can turn a room into a mini-greenhouse, heating up the room and the house.

By utilizing the four tips above, you can make sure to keep cool all summer while keeping the A/C bill under control. Try these tips out and let us know how they work for you!