It's finally summer & I'm sitting at my desk with a fan blowing delicious air on my face - not a great start to be writing about saving energy! Or is it?
Which direction does your house face? My office is my front bedroom and is a cool north facing room whilst the back of the house is blisteringly south facing. The sun obviously moves round, so have you got blinds you can close? (I haven't, must get some). Looking at various points in the day where certain rooms get stifling you could do as the mediterraneans do, close shutters or draw blinds to prevent the sun streaming through then reopen them when the sun has moved round.
Using fans when it's steaming is pretty sensible but how best to use them for maximum effect & minimise the electricity use? If your room is hotter than outside, having a fan up high, fairly near the open window pointing out, should push the hot air out. If it's hotter outside then keep your windows shut but have the fan on to circulate the cooler air inside - assuming you've not got air con or a cooling system such as a heat source pump or a Dyson Purifier.
If you are choosing to open your windows - mine are literally all open - have them open at either ends of your home so it creates an air flow & keep internal doors open.
Turn off the whole tv section in your home, everything that is plugged in generates heat even on standby. Watch out for your fridge doors too, the amount of times I'm in and out of the fridge & freezer for cool drinks & ice, make sure you shut them properly. I had inadvertently left the fridge door ajar and the puddle of water in the bottom was huge!
We bbq a lot in the summer, being in our tiny kitchen with that oven on is torture! But if I am, then the kitchen window is always open & the extractor running when I open the oven door. BBQ'ing is obviously a blue job so I don't much care how hot he's getting outside!
LED lightbulbs save you around 15% electricity use and generate significantly less heat waste compared to conventional bulbs. But with the daylight hours still gorgeous there's a chance you don't have them on anyway or just the odd lamp in a dark corner here and there.
Ice packs are a slice of heaven! I have one on my leg right now to cool a nasty mozzy bite & I have a special one I use for migraines - the ones you get in a food parcel like an easi-chill are brilliant! Or ⅔ fill your hot water bottle with cold water & stick it in the freezer for a bit before bed its just the best for keeping you cool.
If you haven't got any natural shade outside your downstairs garden window, maybe you could get an awning - my neighbour has a beautiful sail on wooden posts with fairy lights around the edge. Or maybe you could use your garden umbrella close to the house to create shade by your window or french doors?
Quick cold showers are the best or a shallow cool bath. I hate damp towels in the bathroom so to avoid musty smells they are best popped outside on the line for half an hour.
Tumble dryers - I haven't got one - but they are juicy on the electric and generate heat. Now it's actually stopped raining everything gets dried outside on the line, love that smell of fresh washing! Otherwise I've got a heated clothes dryer but stuff dries on it quickly enough near a window without the heat. They're ugly though, I hate washing hanging up indoors but it's a bit of a no-win situation with our weather. And if you've got a big family you'll probably think this idea is rubbish!
If you'd like to chat about your home energy with me please book a coffee call, no drama, no expectations, no selling anything.
Thanks for reading - more blogs on energy can be found here
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