4 Green Ways Keep You and Your Home Cool this Summer

July 10th, 2014  |  Home Insurance

Have you started to complain about the heat yet? If you have, then you are like many other people across Canada looking for ways to keep cool during the summer. As temperatures approach 30 Degrees +, it’s important to keep cool, however, for many, keeping cool means blasting the AC when it gets hot outside. 

4 Green Ways Keep You and Your Home Cool this Summer

There are many other ways to keep your home cool and be green at the same time. Here are some environmentally friendly ways to keep cool and lessen your impact on the environment at the same time:

1. Keep your body heat down: Many people forget that one of the most effective ways to stay cool during the summer is to keep your body heat down. This can be accomplished in many ways – all of which do not include the AC. Doing things like wearing light clothing, staying hydrated, eating cold meals, cooling off with water and even spending more time in the basement (which tends to be cooler in the summer) are all effective ways to keep cool and be green at the same time. 
2. Shade the inside and outside of your windows: Much of the heat that will get in your home during the summer will come from the sun shining in your windows. This is why it’s important to properly shade the interior and exterior of your windows. For the interior, keep the blinds drawn during sunny times. To shade the exterior consider adding plants and trees, or even an awning to prevent direct sunlight shining in your windows. This will help lower the temperature in your home. 
3. Use your air conditioner more efficiently: There are a number of things that you can do to cut costs and use your air conditioner in a more environmentally friendly manner. Making sure the filter is clean, having it serviced regularly, setting your thermostat a few degrees higher, and using a programmable thermostat are all effective strategies to be green and stay cool. 
4. Invest in your home: There are also many other ways that you can cut energy costs and keep your home cool while still being green. Investing in more insulation, sealing your ducts, investing in high-reflectivity window film, and investing in an energy efficient AC unit (if you have an older model) are all worthwhile investments that will help keep your home cool during hot summer days.

Give some of these options a try before resorting to blasting the AC this summer. Many work just as effective as the air conditioner, with the added benefit of lowering your impact on the environment and keeping your energy costs down at the same time.