Beware, Take Care, and Waste Not
May 27th, 2010 | By Jody L Weymouth | Category: EconomyBeat the Heat
That time of year has come again. Next week the temperature is expected to be 40 degrees with the humidity. I am realizing that a summer spent in the Ottawa Valley of Ontario may just be hotter than Hades. Just seeing that number has caused me to panic; I am an East Coast girl who thinks 28 is a perfect temperature. Will I survive a summer in Ontario with no cooling ocean breezes? Our house has no air conditioning and we do not have any window air conditioners. This may get very tricky, or at the least very sticky.
To beat the heat without breaking the bank will take a plan. Can I keep my cool while keeping my green? I sure hope so. Today is a balmy 28 degrees while inside my house is a lovely 20 degrees. I have four big windows on the south side of the house so I am quite pleased with this. This miraculous temperature has been achieved without the help of air conditioning.
Those wonderful thermal curtains that keep my house toasty in the winter are now being put to work again. The curtains and windows are all closed to keep out the heat. It may seem a contradiction to close the windows. When I first thought of doing this, I imagined a stuffy house and me lying in a puddle on the floor, but it does actually keep all of the heat out. When the air cools off, I open the windows until the next morning. The thermal curtains are closed, keeping the sun’s warming rays out.
Thermal curtains can cost $25–$75 per panel. I got a beautiful set of thermal curtains at a fabric store for only $50 per window. Check out sales. There are deals to be had; you just have to search them out. Yes, the thermal curtains are more expensive than your regular curtains, but they work double duty and in the long run they will pay for themselves. Thermal curtains are also heavy and lined, making them fade-resistant. Regular curtains tend to fade especially those that are south facing. Thermal curtains are much longer lasting than the regular curtains making them a smart buy.
(Note: If you have vertical blinds, close them during the day and have them angled upwards. This will block out the sun’s heat.)
I live in military housing with, may I say, crappy insulation. If you own your own home and are looking for an investment, insulation may be the way to go. Again, there is an up-front cost, but your home will be warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. The attic is a key area for insulation if re-insulating your entire home is not an option. A new ventilation system may also work wonders at heating and cooling your home. If you think this may be a choice for you, call up a HVAC specialist and explore.
I am writing this column in my office which has a south facing window and is upstairs. I am wearing shorts and a t-shirt. It is 28 degrees after all, but I am not too warm. I hope to get through next week using this same strategy. I may use a few fans especially while trying to sleep. If it gets really bad, I will head to the beach and go for a swim, soak in a cool tub, or buy a kiddie splash pool. Picture it: lounging in a splash pool with water up to my waist holding a book in one hand and a slushy drink in the other. If I close my eyes, I can pretend I am in some island paradise.
My Beat the Heat plan also includes the means to keep my poodle cool. A cool house equals a cool pet. There are even special dog beds available that once water is added, turn into a comfy cool haven for man’s (or woman’s) best friend. Again, you invest the money up front but the benefits are priceless.
We all know how cooking in the summer warms up a house. I have a plan for that too. I plan to be very creative and cook most things on the BBQ. I invested in a counter top convection oven (on sale) and will use that for any baking I have to do. These ovens can even be found with a chicken rotisserie. Mine has two racks and fits two pizzas. It is an energy efficient and heat cutting solution to a regular oven. I also invested in a bread machine (also bought on sale). The heat will not prevent me from have my loaf of fresh baked yumminess. The bread machine is another appliance that saves energy and is so much cooler than the oven. The heat will not prevent me from eating well!
I am determined to survive my first summer in Ontario without air conditioning. I am determined to stay cool while saving money. Air conditioning is a recent invention. Our ancestors worked hard manual labour without it. After a cold harsh winter without central heating, the heat may have even been welcomed. This summer I will embrace the spirit of my ancestors and beat the heat in fun, creative ways. I will eat supper outside once the heat subsides. Finding shade under a tree to spend time with a book is a heavenly way to spend a hot day. Wouldn’t you rather swim and frolic at the beach rather than sitting inside glued to an air conditioner? I know that I would. My Beat the Heat plan will not only save me money; it will help save the environment. Saving green can be very green.
If you find it necessary to use air conditioning, turning it down by just a few degrees will save you money. Many window air conditioners are now energy star rated. If I find it necessary to purchase one for the sake of a good night’s sleep, it will be an energy star model. It will be placed in our bedroom widow and turned on a few hours before bed with the door closed.
Enjoy this summer and have fun finding creative ways to beat the heat.
On a personal note, I have become very intimate with ice packs (used correctly to avoid frost-bite) and am now best friends with a tub of ice cream. I walk every morning in the 30 plus degree heat sweating bullets. This exercise is counter-acting my consumption of a certain Ben and Jerry’s frozen treat. It’s only May yet and I may give in to an air conditioner, but I will have fun trying to beat the heat the old fashioned way, with the help of fans and ice packs of course.
For more tips on beating the heat and staying green, check out last summer’s Little Acts of Green article by Christine Gordon Manley.
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