Summer is here and temperatures as well as energy bills are getting higher. We live in an older house (1940’s) and have taken many steps to help control energy loss like new windows, new roof, new insulation. Those fun energy bills keep going up. I noticed last summer a larger jump then I was expecting even for these hot summer months with the kids home and AC running. When I called our energy company to see if we were using a larger amount of energy, I was told, nope same amount of energy being used, the cost to get that energy just had gone up considerably.
I recently heard a term called the “Caveman” Method of keeping your house cool. Alot of these tips I was already doing, but some were new to me. I wanted to share this to help other save a bit on those high energy bills during the summer heat!
The “caveman method” of keeping a house cold refers to using natural ways (Like our ancestors may have done) to cool down a space. Here are some quick strategies:
Blocking Out the Sun
- Close curtains or blinds during the day, especially on windows facing the sun. We keep our front room curtains closed early in the day and close the back room curtains later in the day and it helps a ton!
- Use thick or reflective materials to reduce solar heat gain (such as blackout curtains or aluminum foil in extreme cases, lol, this one could make your house a talking point in the neighborhood!).
Maximizing Natural Ventilation
- Open windows at night to let in cool air. I love natural air in the house at night and hearing the frogs on the pond a bonus!
- Use cross-ventilation: open windows on opposite sides of the house to create a breeze.
Insulating with Earth or Stone
- Cavemen lived in caves or thick-walled huts that naturally insulated against heat. You can mimic this by:
- Using thermal mass such as stone, brick, adobe, to absorb heat during the day and release it at night. *This one?? Maybe just due to our house being older, the room adjacent to our natural stone wall a little warmer than the others…
- Keeping doors and windows closed during the hottest hours to trap cool air inside.
Utilize Water and Evaporation
- Hang a damp sheet in front of a window to cool air entering the room via evaporation. This one I have never tried, in theory sure.
- Place bowls of cold water or ice in front of fans. I will give this one a try, I turn on a fan while doing a home workout, so we will see.
Living Low and Dark
- Heat rises, so in multi-story homes, hang out in the lower levels.
- Use dark, cool spaces, like basements, similar to how caves stayed naturally cooler. Yep, our basement rec room in super popular with the kids this time of year!
There are so many great tips out there to conserve energy during the summer months. Hope some of these ideas help you keep your house cool and save some money on those energy bills.