5 Cost Effective Ways to Keep Your Home Cool This Summer
4. Use shading devices
Exterior shading devices include awnings, louvers, shutters, rolling shutters and shades and solar screens, all of which are very effective in blocking direct sunlight.
5. Try landscaping your home
Where there is greenery, there is more cooling. Plant trees or shrubs to shade air conditioning units but don’t let them grow so much that they block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses less electricity and gives out cooler air. Avoid landscaping with unshaded rock, cement or asphalt on the south or west sides because it increases the temperature around the house and radiates heat to the house after the sun has set. Deciduous trees planted on the south and west sides will keep your house cool in the summer. Only three trees properly placed around a house can save between $100 and $250 annually in cooling and heating costs. Daytime air temperatures can be 3 degrees to 6 degrees cooler in tree-shaded neighborhoods.
