Air conditioning has become a pretty common feature of homes in Southwest Washington. While it does quickly take the edge off a hot summer day, the power required to create that cooling comfort will raise the costs of the home energy bill.
Air conditioning is great, but it’s not necessary to beat the summer heat. Whether you rent or own, there are plenty of ways to cool off this season and enjoy the benefits of saving energy; it just takes a little planning and a little extra effort.
Use night and early morning temperatures to your advantage. Open windows in the evenings to invite the cool air inside — just remember to close them up in the mornings before the temperature begins to rise.
However, it’s important to keep safety in mind when the windows are open. Screens are not strong enough to prevent a child or an over-enthusiastic pet from falling through a window, or to keep intruders from climbing in. A wooden dowel in the window frame or sliding glass door track is a cheap and effective way to balance personal safety and personal comfort.
Once the outdoor temperature begins to drop, you can accelerate the heat exchange process by sticking a box fan in one or more of the windows around the home. Even one fan blowing outside air inside is enough to speed up the cooling process, just remember to leave other windows open for maximum ventilation.
In the morning, after you shut the windows shut the blinds or the drapes on the sunny side of your home — those are typically the south and west sides, to stop the sun from warming indoor spaces. It’s even better to shade windows from the outside, using something like outdoor blinds, shutters or awnings. Blocking those warming sunrays will limit the greenhouse effect and keep your house cooler longer.
Whether on the table or the ceiling, fans will help you cool off. They don’t lower the ambient temperature, but they can offer a cooling effect. If your home has central air, setting the thermostat to “fan” can create a comforting draft throughout the house without the extra energy usage of running AC.
You may be a little too old to run through the sprinkler, but a cool shower or soak in the tub will offer immediate and lasting relief.
Sometimes the best thing to do is just get out of the house for a little while. Lots of public places offer air conditioning consider going to see a movie, doing a little window shopping at the mall or visiting a nearby library branch and catch up on some reading.
Cooking and baking releases a lot of residual heat. To make things more difficult, the hottest time of the day in Southwest Washington is around 5 p.m. — just in time for dinner. When possible, avoid using the stovetop or the oven and look to smaller appliances like air fryers, toaster ovens or head outside and fire up the barbeque. With all the locally grown fruits and vegetables offered in the summer, it’s the perfect season to skip the stove entirely and try your hand at some cold-prep meals like savory salads and soups. Gazpacho, anyone?
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98688.
