Practical Ways To Keep Cool This Summer (And Keep Your Electricity Bill Down!)

June 28, 2022

Practical Ways To Keep Cool This Summer (And Keep Your Electricity Bill Down!)

When summer comes to mind, we think of lounging on the beach, driving up to Baguio, and sipping ice cold drinks, or just basically lying in bed all day. Unfortunately here in the Philippines, when temperatures start cranking up to near 40 degrees, it’s almost impossible to just sit comfortably or even sleep.

While the most obvious solution for a lot of homeowners is to buy an air conditioner, even the smallest, energy-efficient air conditions can send your next electric bill to the high heavens. So what can a budget-conscious homeowner do to get a cool night’s sleep?

1. Keep your blinds closed
Thirty percent of the blazing summer heat in your home comes from your windows. Putting up shades or curtains can help you save up to seven percent on your electricity bills and lower indoor temperatures up to a more modest lower 30s.

2. Open your doors
Closing off rooms will prevent air flowing naturally inside your home, especially at high noon. You never want to be cooked alive in a locked room.

3. “Hack” your electric fans
Fill a mixing bowl with ice and position it at an angle in front of a large fan and it will whip up an extra-chill, extra-misty breeze.

4. Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise
If you have a ceiling fan at home, set it to rotate counter-clockwise at a higher speed. This way, the fan’s airflow can create a wind-chill breeze effect that will help you and your family or guests “feel” cooler.

5. Stay hydrated Our ancestors survived earlier summers without air conditioning.
Sure, they didn’t have to contend with global warming, but they still managed to do it. From drinking iced drinks to wrapping your body with wet towels, keeping your body cool during the summer is half the battle. This also includes not wearing dark-colored clothes.

6. Sleep low
Heat rises, the cold stays underneath. If possible, set up your bed or mattresses as close to the ground as possible. If you have a one-story house, set your mattress on the floor. If you have a multiple story house, try sleeping at the ground floor or basement.

7. Sleep alone
Yep, you read that right. Sleeping alone has its perks. Aside from having all the bed space all to yourself, cuddling with your partner increases body heat, making a sweaty and sticky pit of your bed. At night, try sleeping with your arms and legs apart in a spread-eagle position to reduce body heat and let air circulate your body.

8. Plant trees
More often than not, the best way to keep cool during the summer is to do it naturally — by planting trees. In the advent of global warming, planted trees or vines on or in-front of light-facing windows will shield your home from the sun’s rays and reduce the amount of heat your home absorbs and are the best long-term solution to the summer heat — practically and scientifically.

Living through this summer without an AC seems impossible. But come to think of it, if your grandparents could do it without an air conditioner, there’s no reason why we cannot do without one. There are a lot of “cool” ways (pun intended) to beat the summer heat without racking up the electric bill or making unnecessary purchases and you’ll even feel like a champ for it.

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The author of this article contributed in their own personal capacity. The views expressed are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of COCOGN Insurance.
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