Six Eco-Friendly Ways to Keep Cool This Summer

Keeping cool, without consuming tons of energy (and money!), becomes a primary focus for many homeowners this time of year. Let's look at some earth-friendly ideas for beating the heat:

1. Invest in ceiling fans, which can make a room feel about four degrees cooler and cost much less to operate than air conditioning.

2. Close the blinds on south and west-facing windows to keep the sun from heating up your house and forcing your air conditioner to work even harder.

3. Avoid landscaping with lots of unshaded rock, cement, or asphalt surrounding your home. Those materials can significantly increase the temperature around your house and continue to radiate heat into the house after the sun sets.

4. Plant trees or shrubs to shade your air conditioning unit but be careful not to block the airflow. A shaded air conditioning unit uses less electricity.

5. Avoid using your oven. Use the microwave, air fryer, or stovetop instead to avoid heating the whole house further burdening your air conditioner.

6. Cool off on someone else's dime by visiting local libraries, museums, and parks!

These hot ideas could really help your whole family stay cool and comfortable this summer!