Cool Off Without The AC This Summer

Chelsea Green:

You may want to reconsider blasting your AC in the cars, in your house, and in your workplace (unless you're working outside, 'cause that breeze is free). It raises your electricity costs by fifty percent.

Read the whole story: Chelsea Green

Comments

[RJPasadena]

I live in a two story condo. I have an upstairs office that I move downstairs where it is cooler throughout the day. I only run my A/C after work hours to cool the house. I stopped doing that because after I shut it off, it warms up again upstairs...so I sleep downstairs when the temp is 90 and above or if the temp does not drop below 60 at night. In other words, I sleep downstairs all summer from July until October.

[SCG]

"Forget AC! Cool Your Home Naturally" - Aug/Sept 2007 issue Mother Earth News

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Homes/2007-08-01/Natural-Home-Cooling.aspx

[NoSillyName]

Sorry, I just moved to Arizona and it was 109 today; people keep telling me that its not even hot yet. Not turning off the AC. Now if I could just afford to pay the electric bill...

[kitkatborn]

In Florida , the humidity is part of the problem. The heat index can be well over 100 degrees And very uncomfortable. Years ago before air-conditioning they would put in higher ceilings & actually put houses up on blocks to keep air circulating under the house. And still, you did not like to go upstairs because of the heat.

[FROGi]

I'll turn off the a/c but keep the fridge door open.

[roseau]

I'm appalled that people are so quick to dismiss this article, although it wasn't terribly well-documented or convincing. It's just making excuses for not doing your part to consume less energy. Here's the deal - if you live in a place that has moderate summers, you can reduce AC use significantly by using the tactics suggested in the article. That's most of the US. If you need to use AC, or choose to for greater comfort, you can still reduce the energy use by employing these and other tactics.

[harriscrl3]

Sorry but I think if anyone is being dismissive its this article for not taking the issue seriously. People can die particularly the elderly from heat stroke. That said you need to come up with serious alternative how is that going to help an elderly person who cant leave her home. In order for people to take this issue seriously the writers of this article MUST take this issue seriously. I'm always looking for ways that I can do my part to improve the environment but can you at least try and find ways thats not a complete inconvenience for people.

[sc300nc]

LOL...yeah, all those things are going to help when it's 95 outside. No mention of the most obvious, turn your AC up a couple of degrees, use ceiling fans for air movement, keep you AC unit tuned up, change your filters, seal your ductwork.

[harriscrl3]

Thank you I actually think using Celing fans is a better suggestion. My sister has a celing fan in her room and it keeps the room cool and burns a fraction of the electricity an airconditioner does. When I actually redid my home I should have had them put celing fans in.

[NoSillyName]

It 95 breezeless degrees right now. Its midnight. Not gonna open the windows. AC set at 80, trying to keep the bill down. ugh.

"But its a Dry Heat"
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