20 Green (and Cost-Effective) Ways to Keep Cool This Summer

When the sun shines through your windows, it heats up your house as if it’s a greenhouse. In summer, keep the blinds and curtains closed to keep those rays out. This is especially important for south-facing windows that receive more direct sunlight.

If you open the windows during the hottest part of a windless day, you’ll just let the warm air in and heat up your house. Wait until late afternoon or early evening, when the night breeze will cool things down.

If you open windows on opposite sides of the house, it will create a draft which lets cool air circulate through. Another trick is to open lower windows to let the cool air in and higher windows to let the warm air out.

Keep interior doors open so that the cooler air can circulate through your house. When you close off a room by closing the door, it will trap the heat inside that room.

Incandescent light bulbs not only use more energy but also emit more heat. Replace your old bulbs with energy-efficient LED or CFL lights and turn them on only when you need them.

Your electronics generate heat as they use electricity, even when they’re not actively in use. When you’re not using them, unplug them.

Make a low-tech, more energy-efficient air-conditioning system by placing a bowl of ice or an ice pack in front of the fan, as Apartment Therapy suggests. The bowl should be tilted towards the fan so that the moving air hits the ice and gets cooled before being circulated around the room.

They may be a little more expensive, but 100% cotton sheets are more breathable and cooler than ones with a polyester blend. They will feel cool against your skin, reducing the need for energy-guzzling air-conditioning or a fan, and have the added bonus that they’re super luxurious.

Check the settings on your ceiling fan. In summer, you want the fan on a high speed and blowing the air directly down.

Put some water in a spray bottle and spritz the sheets for extra coolness before you get into bed. You can also cool your bed by filling a hot-water bottle with ice water and leaving it between the sheets.

Using the stove and oven during the day will only create extra heat when you least need it. Wait until the cooler night-time hours to cook and opt for non-cook meals such as salads and sandwiches during the day.

Instead of heating up your kitchen, take your cooking outside. Fire up the grill and enjoy the outdoor summer air while keeping your house cool.

Good insulation is not just for winter. If you have proper insulation, especially in the attic or roof space, it will keep the summer heat from penetrating through the walls and roof into your home.

Like good insulation, caulking and weatherstripping will keep warm air from escaping from your house in winter. In summer, it has the opposite effect, keeping warm air out and cool air in.

Lighter colours reflect heat rather than absorb it. To give your home a summer makeover, paint the exterior walls in light, cool colours.

Consider getting a metal roof for your home, since metal is a good reflector of heat. Remember though that without good ceiling insulation, a metal roof can turn your house into an oven.

Vines such as ivy grow quickly and will cool your house in two ways: by keeping the sun from hitting – and heating – the walls and through evapotranspiration. In winter, they lose their leaves and the sunlight can warm your house.

Shrubs and trees that are positioned in such a way that they will cast shade over your house and block the sun from directly entering windows will have a naturally cooling effect. However, opt for plants that can easily be cut back or will lose their leaves in winter, when you want to avoid shade and let more sunshine in.

Awnings are another way of shading your house and keeping the sun’s heat out. Choose a type that you can simply roll or fold back in winter.

Shutters are a great way to keep the sun out. If you open the windows and close the shutters, they’ll also provide ventilation. They have the added benefits that they provide storm protection and privacy.