Eco-friendly and Efficient Ways to Cool Your Home this Summer

With summer around the corner, those of you living in high heat and humidity areas probably dread the return of high electric bills.

Despite all you’ve done to turn off electronics and lights to save power during the winter, frustration can rise as quickly as the temperature once your air conditioning begins to blast.

But take heart! There are many efficient—and eco-friendly—ways to stay cool this summer.

Air conditioning filters

The first way to keep your home cool is to change the air conditioning filter on a monthly basis.

Dust accumulation on a filter chokes off the flow of air, making the entire unit run harder, drawing ever-more electricity into its hungry maw and forcing it to spew out more carbon dioxide, too.

Solar air conditioner

If it’s time to upgrade your air conditioning system, there’s some good news!

Even though it’s a high cost investment, there are some great options available.

Enticing to those who want to protect the environment are the variety of units that are eco-friendly as well as energy-efficient. For example, a solar air conditioner keeps your home cool, your electric bill low, and the environment cleaner.

Choose the right size

If you choose to purchase a standard air conditioner, you can still save money and reduce strain on the environment.

Make sure you get the right size unit for the size of your home. Consider how much insulation your home has, how much shade touches the house throughout the day, and how cool you want to be. A reputable company can advise you.

Air coolers, not conditioners

Before you take the expensive step of buying a new a/c system, consider whether you really need one.

For example, if you usually hang out in only one room of your home for most of the day; try cooling just that space with a new air cooler.

These use water and ice packs instead of environmentally-unfriendly chemicals to create cool air and are portable, so you can move them from one room to another.

Cooling pads

While a cool bedroom is one of the best tools for achieving a restful night’s sleep, thoughts of high energy bills might keep you awake.

Consider cooling your body instead of the entire room by sleeping on a cooling pad. This new product is thin enough to slide right inside your pillowcase, layering on top of your pillow, and will keep you cool throughout the night without using any electricity. Talk about eco-friendly and efficient!

Cooling pads can even bring relief from headaches and soothe weary muscles.

These are just a few eco-friendly and efficient ways to cool your home, but there are more such as homemade thermal curtains, awnings, or screens.

Do a little research and you’ll quickly find ways to bring down your electric bill and do your part to keep the environment clean.