Turning Your Apartment into a Safe Haven for Summer

Many of us consider summer as our favorite season. However, it can’t be denied that summer cooling costs can be extremely draining on one’s finances. Fortunately for people who live in apartments, cost-effectively cooling a smaller living space is easy. There’s no shortage of simple measures you can take towards turning your apartment into a summer safe haven.

How to Turn Your Home into a Safe Haven for the Summer

Swap Out Incandescent Lightbulbs for Energy-Efficient Ones

Traditional incandescent light bulbs are outdated for several reasons. They consume far more energy and have much shorter lifespans than energy-efficient LED and CFL bulbs. Second, they produce a lot more heat than their energy-efficient alternatives, so they’re not exactly conducive to creating your safe haven for the summer. 

So, if any of the lights in your apartment are currently incandescent bulbs, try swapping them out for LEDs or CFLs. While it’s true that energy-efficient bulbs typically come with higher price tags, it’s important to understand that any savings you get from purchasing incandescents are purely short-term. Although you’ll spend less up front, the shorter lifespans and higher energy consumption associated with traditional bulbs will probably ensure that you pay more in the long run. So, while the desire to save money wherever possible is certainly understandable, this is one instance where extreme frugality will not do you, and your finances, any favors. Additionally, if you’re sticking with incandescent bulbs purely out of habit, just remember that growing accustomed to a certain way of doing things doesn’t mean that way of doing things is right.

Place Strict Limits on Oven Use

If you genuinely enjoy cooking, odds are you can’t imagine life without an oven. As one of the most popular culinary tools on the planet, ovens play an integral role in creating countless dishes. However, using an oven in a compact living space, especially during the hot summer months, can make the residence warm. 

With this in mind, attempt to place strict limits on oven usage throughout the summer. If you’ve grown accustomed to using your oven daily, this may take some adjusting. However, you’re likely to discover that limited oven use is far more workable than you think. For example, given the large number of oven-less summer recipes that are out there, you may find that this is actually a blessing in disguise. If your apartment building permits outdoor grilling, you might invest in a compact grill and sharpen your barbecue skills.

If you absolutely refuse to put the brakes on oven usage throughout the summer months, try to only use your oven after the sun has gone down. Use your kitchen’s exhaust fan to minimize heat buildup. 

Make Use of Your Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are an absolute necessity for apartment residents during the summer months. Not only are they essential for circulating the cool air produced by A/C units, but as cooling aids independent of air conditioning. For example, once you adjust the blades to turn counterclockwise, ceiling fans can produce refreshing cool breezes that flow directly downward. If the temperatures in your area undergo a considerable drop after the sun has set, opening some windows and allowing your ceiling fans to circulate the naturally cool air throughout your residence can provide you with first-rate overnight comfort. 

To sweeten the deal, dependable ceiling fans are affordable on any budget. As well as available in an extensive array of styles and sizes. If you live in a studio apartment or efficiency unit, for instance, you’ll want to shop for small ceiling fans.  

Final Thoughts

While summer is great, there’s no denying that high cooling costs put a damper on one’s enjoyment of the season. Fortunately for apartments, it is easy to cool off small living spaces in a cost-effective way. So, with summer utility costs, having less space can actually be a blessing. To turn your apartment into a safe haven for the summer, heed the pointers discussed above.  

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