Summers in the Treasure Valley can be flat-out unbearable sometimes. As record temperatures have been scorching the area, even staying inside can still be a burden when you’re trying to beat the heat. Of course, the cost of air conditioning sky-rockets during the warm months so it can steer you away from turning on the AC. Here at VA Home Loans, we have some great tips to keep your utility bills low while staying cool during the scorching summer months.
Block Out the Rays
Investing in block-out curtains is a great way to keep the heat out of your house. Putting these types of shades up over windows that bring in the most direct sunlight, will significantly cool down your house. This is a fast and cost-friendly way to keep your house cool and will prevent you from overheating. Some black-out curtains are not always the most fashionable. Either finding curtains online that you find appealing or if you’re feeling crafty and want to test your art skills, design your own to put up to spice them up!
Get to Planting
Who said that money doesn’t grow on trees? In this case, it does. Well kind of. Planting brush around your house is an effective way to lower the temperature in your home. How does that make sense? Although it is not an instant gratification fix, planting brush or trees around your house will cover up part of the windows or some of the roof that will block the sun from hitting your house directly. The trees will pay for themselves eventually, you’ll just have to wait for them to grow! Over time the brush will keep your house cooler during the summer months and in the long run, keep your money in your pockets. Not just that, it is a fun side project to get out of the house and improve the look of your yard too! Utilizing the time as a family project to get out of the house and plant the trees can also create a fun environment!
Keep Windows Open At Night
Once the sun goes down, the temperature does too. Opening up your windows at night can allow your house to cool down naturally. That means you don’t have to run your air conditioning throughout the night to stay cool. The less time the AC is on, the more money you are saving. This is something you can start doing as soon as today! Checking the weather before opening your windows to make sure it is a desirable temperature throughout the night is a good idea. With this, you can be comfortable during the night and even into the early morning without having to pay a penny. Just make sure you don’t forget to close the windows once it starts getting hotter the next day!
Help Out Your Floor Ducts
A quick fix to cool down your home is by putting in duct boosters. Duct boosters enhance the airflow of your home. This is done by setting up the booster under your floor vent in between the HVAC system and the vent itself. This is a low costing fan that will drop the temperature of your house dramatically. Adding this small addition to your home will make living in the heat more sustainable.
Ice, Ice, Baby
Need some immediate cool air? A fast way to get some instant relief from the heat is just a few steps away. The only items you need are a portable fan and a bowl of ice. By placing a bowl of ice in front of a fan, it will blow instant cool air into the room. This is a nice little trick if you need to cool down right away.
Lights
One thing that you would never expect to make your house warmer, light bulbs. Traditional light bulbs actually make your house hotter. An incandescent light bulb can get as hot as 4000 degrees Fahrenheit! If you make the switch over to LED light bulbs they range anywhere from 140-212 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the model and brand – that is a significant difference in temperature between the two light bulbs. A little change in something as small as light bulbs can make a huge difference in the comfort of your home.
Come stop by the VA Home Loans office today and we can start finding the perfect home for you!
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