December 15, 2022

The summer heat can feel relentless, and with electricity costs soaring, pumping the air conditioner all day long isn’t the smartest way to stay cool. Depending on the design and features of your house, staying cool indoors may be as simple as tweaking your habits, or in some cases, it may be worth investing in some major alterations to make your house easier to cool for years to come. 

Simple habits

If you’re looking to optimise the temperature in your home without spending any money, there are plenty of simple habits you can adopt that can make a big difference.

 

Close blinds in the heat of the day

Glass windows can be a significant source of heat in your home, particularly if they are receiving direct sunlight. Close the blinds on your north and west-facing windows during the heat of the day, and make sure you have blinds installed on any skylights you have in your main living areas. While this is a very simple habit, you might be surprised by how much cooler your house feels with the blinds closed.

 

Open up in the evening

While the days can be stinking hot in summer, there’s often a cool breeze during the late afternoon and evening. Once the air temperature outside feels cooler than the inside temperature, it’s time to open up all the doors and windows and get some air flowing through your home. This strategy will be even more effective if you’ve kept the blinds closed all day, as the temperature won’t have risen as much as it otherwise might have. 

 

Be smart with air conditioners

While it can be tempting to blast the air conditioner on those hot summer days, this is likely to result in eye-watering electricity bills and can even damage your air conditioner. Setting your air conditioner to a more reasonable temperature, say 24 or 25 degrees on a 30+ degree day should be enough to take the edge off the heat without going overboard. 

 

Choose one room to cool

If you are using an air conditioner, it’s ideal to limit it to one main area where you’ll be spending most of your time during the day. Try to seal the room up as much as possible, closing doors and windows and using draught excluders to prevent your cold air from leaking out. 

 

House changes

Shade your house

Anything you can do to reduce the amount of direct sunlight your house gets will have a cooling effect on your indoor temperatures. Planting deciduous trees (that provide leafy shade during summer, but drop their leaves in winter) is one of the best ways to regulate your home’s temperature all year round. You can also install awnings on the sides of your home that receive the most sunlight, or even place some large, leafy potted plants outside exterior walls to provide some shade. 

 

Insulate and seal

Does your home have insulation in the ceiling? Many homeowners don’t even know. But an insulated ceiling can reduce your indoor temperatures by up to 35% in summer and can also keep your house warmer during winter. Adding insulation strips to door seals and windows can also have a big positive impact on your indoor temperatures in both summer and winter. This is all the more important if you have a skylight installed in your home. Investing in a double-glazed skylight with a good thermal performance will allow you to let the enjoy the benefits of natural light while keeping the interior of your home at a comfortable temperature year-round.

 

Vented skylights

Installing a vented skylight or roof window in your home is not only a great way to increase the natural light in the space, but it can also have a significant cooling effect on your home during the summer months. As we all know, hot air rises, so a skylight that can open will allow hot air to exit your home, significantly lowering your indoor air temperature. This effect can be further enhanced by opening a window in the same room, allowing a cool breeze to enter and force more of the warmer air to escape out of the skylight. Many people find that once they install a venting skylight, they no longer need to use their air conditioner during summer, saving them significant sums on their energy bills.

 

If you’re interested in installing a skylight or roof window in your home this summer, speak to the experts at Natural Lighting Products today.