As the Hazy month of August hits its half way point, the true heat of the summer of 2009 keeps getting more and more intense, most homeowners will put their air conditioner at full speed in an effort to stay comfortable while at home. however much like our previous article about “going green around the home”, there are some useful tips to help with cooling down your home too, therefore reducing your monthly energy consumption and giving  your home the status of being environmentally friendly.

 Here are some cost effective things you can do to keep cool, and save some money:

•   Run your central Air conditioner only when you need it. Most Ontarians have already purchased a New Timer thermostat to control their central air / furnace. This timer works the same as an older version, only this one allows you to set the exact time of when to program your air conditioner to start and when to turn it off. There is no point in running your air conditioner while you are at work for 8+ hours a day. Also try to avoid the Hydro consumption “peak hours” ( typically 11am – 5pm) this is when Hydro tends to cost more as more people are home or in their office to use it, the more demand on the system – the more money the system charges . Turn you Central air on only when you are home and need it, and avoid peak hours. If you follow this routine, the savings will show.

•  Use black out drapes. If you have a room in the house that gets full sun exposure streaming through the windows every day… that is an unnecessary fault in cooling down your home. purchase “black out drapes” – these drapes come and a verity of styles and textures/ colors to fit in with any decor, and have a special backing that reflects the incoming sunlight back out the window and keeps your room nice and cool. I have purchased a set for myself, they work wonders on a room that I was having an issue with keeping cool. They are also perfect for those who work shift work, and need to sleep during the day, by keeping out the light.
•  Use an energy star floor or ceiling fan. Don’t be so quick to turn on your central air, if you need to get just a few degrees cooler, switch on an overhead ceiling fan or floor fan. These are relatively cost effective solution and do a good job of moving the stale air around the house. Opt for an energy star model – proven to use less hydro at almost the same cost for a traditional model.
•  Open a window. The simplest form of cooling down your house. Sometimes your house can be hotter inside then it is out. Open your front door and test the temperature, if it is cool enough with a good breeze, then open up some windows, and let mother nature do the cooling off for you. if possible open windows in the opposite ends of the house or room to get some well needed “cross ventilation” this will help air out your house and give a summer fresh feeling to your living environment.

In conclusion, these simple step are excellent ways to take control of not only your energy costs but as well as your responsibility to the  environment  as a homeowner.

Keeping a cool environment is key to keeping a comfortable environment during the humid days of summer.

 For more information on this or other house hold tips to reduce your spending including ways to cut down on your monthly mortgage payments contact us today!