Energy Saving Tips for Summer

Even though heating is by far the biggest energy load, more and more people are cooling their homes in summer—which is a big advantage of heat pumps since they can both heat and cool with the same equipment. There are many things you can do, though, to reduce your cooling needs. Remember, you can always contact one of our Community Energy Advisors with questions or to get help. There are many things you can do to keep yourself cooler in the summer (eat spicy foods, put ice in your hat, …); here are a few you can do to keep your home cooler (and therefore yourself).

• Use curtains or blinds (or even shutters). Keeping the sun from beating down on the inside of your home in the summer is one of the most cost-effective things you can do to keep cool.

• The same window film that keeps cold air out in the winter will keep hot air out in the summer (use it year-round on non-operable windows).

• Keep windows closed during the day but open at night.

• Use ceiling or portable fans to keep air circulating (and set ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise).

• Keep your air-conditioner and/or heat pump filters clean.

• All those holes that let the cold air in in the winter let hot air in in the summer, so air-sealing is just as important for summer cooling. Check for leaky areas with an incense stick or match—just move it slowly around windows and doors and along your walls to find those drafty areas (easiest to see on windy days), then choose caulk, spray foam, or other appropriate material depending on the size of the hole and whether you’re sealing it from the inside or outside.

• Insulation is just as important in both winter and summer.

• If you have a central cooling system (air conditioning or heat pump), use a programmable thermostat to keep your house cool when you’re home but not make your equipment work as hard when you’re not.

• Consider adding an awning over south-facing windows. If sized and positioned correctly, they block the summer (high in the sky) sun while letting winter (low on the horizon) light in.

• Shrubbery! Trees and shrubs can help shade your home in the summer while still letting most of the sun in in the winter.

• Air-dry your clothes instead of running the clothes drier.

But Most Importantly

• Get an energy assessment. These are free for most New Yorkers (a $150+ value paid for by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority). A professional energy contractor will come to your home and help identify improvements that make sense for your home. The assessment may also qualify you for incentives, rebates and low-interest financing that can be applied to these improvements.

• We are here to help. Contact a Community Energy Advisor and we can help you learn about and access programs to help cut your heating costs, make your home more comfortable, and be more environmentally friendly.

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Thanks to Guillermo Metz from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County for use of his original article.