In honor of the beautiful weather we’ve been having here in southern Oklahoma {snort} I thought I would share how our family keeps our home cool during the spring and summer.
Normally, during the spring and summer, our area has hot, humid temperatures that begin at 80 degrees and can go as high as 110 or 115 (with the heat index) in July. Those days do NOT make for frugal living; they make for nice, cool afternoons hangin’ out in the family room with the A/C cranked. But, I digress 😉 [Actually, it is super chilly today, and still raining, so the A/C is completely out of the question this week!]
As I have said before, our family relies mainly on the ceiling fans, open windows, and fans for cooling our home.
But, sometimes, that is not an option. So, for those days, (or for those who live in extremely warm areas!) here are some frugal ways to keep the cost of running your air conditioner down.
Tips to lower your electricity bill:
- Purchase a programmable thermostat. You can regulate different temperatures for different times of the day (i.e. in the early morning, the temp can be set a bit higher).
- Set your thermostat to a higher temperature during the day when you are at work or school, and during vacations. If no one is home, the air conditioner should NOT be running constantly!
- When you are home, tap the A/C up one notch (like from 75 to 76). More than likely, you will not notice the difference, and you will be amazed at how much one degree’s difference will make in your bill.
- After you get used to the temperature being one degree higher, tap it up another notch and see what happens!
- Make good use of your ceiling fans. They work. Well.
- If your weather is nice, open your windows. It airs out your home, lets in fresh light and air, and brings the outdoors inside. This is certainly the most frugal option, as it costs nothing!
- Keep your oven off. It will heat up your home super fast, therefore, costing you more money. If you must use your oven, do your baking in the early morning or late evening, when the outside temperature is much cooler.
- Drink lots of water. It keeps your body temperature regulated, and therefore, cooler and much more comfortable.
How do you make sweltering summer days manageable? Have you tried turning your thermostat up one degree? Do you notice a difference?
Photo by Akash k
Leave a Reply