How to save energy in the summer

Do you too between June and August (but now also May and September …) do you find yourself facing and cursing the heat ?

Summer is wonderful, with its long days, green trees and endless aperitifs but when the thermometer rises and shows no sign of going down, there is little to do: you can hear it.

So here is a mini guide to survive the high temperatures by making the environment and your finances happy too.

Save on the use of the air conditioner

The most important trick to save energy in the summer and have a lower bill is to use our air conditioner friend in an intelligent way. First of all, it means turning it on only when necessary (“always” as an answer is not valid) and obviously turning it off when you leave (here it is okay to always do it).

To reduce consumption, then, it is important that the temperature difference between the internal and external environment is approximately 8 degrees. So – in principle – we should keep it at 25 degrees: this is the temperature that ensures the best result with the lowest energy consumption (and therefore also the lowest cost).

Another useful trick to combat the heat and save energy is to counteract the humidity in the rooms by setting the dehumidifier function . It can make the temperature drop by up to 3 degrees, weighing less on the bill.

Still regarding the air conditioner, another tip is not to place it behind objects that can obstruct the air outlet. The best area is the upper part of the wall: the cold air tends to descend and mixes more easily with the hot one which instead tends to rise (as in the convective motions that explain to us in the averages). Speaking of location, it is best not to install air conditioners in rooms that are particularly hot or very exposed to the sun during the day. In this case too, the plant would find itself having to use more energy, thus increasing consumption and the related expense items in the bill.

Finally, if you are thinking of buying a new air conditioner, look for an energy efficient one that is good for your finances and also good for the environment.

But there is not only the air conditioner!

• Green light to plants ! They are excellent allies for saving energy in summer as they help lower temperatures in the house: this is because, in addition to being natural parasols, they remove heat from the atmosphere. In addition to having them inside, another good idea is to plant vines on balconies and terraces to absorb some of the heat and make sure that it enters the house as little as possible.

• Turn off electronic devices. Setting them to ‘off’ when you don’t need them allows you to avoid that the heat they emit with their engines running contributes to raising the temperature indoors.

• Open the windows in the evening and close them during the hottest hours. This will allow the pleasant evening breeze to enter the house and keep the rooms cool when the outside environment gets warmer.
• Paint the exterior walls in light colors. As we all know, dark colors absorb most of the radiation, including infrared radiation and therefore heat. Painting the house with light colors helps keep the walls at a lower temperature.

• Improve the insulation of your home. As in winter, checking that there are no thermal bridges in the building envelope serves to avoid heat escapes, in summer the same rule applies to the heat that enters the structure from the outside. A good insulation system – of walls and windows – will help you save energy in summer and winter.

• Prefer the fan. Often a fan is enough to find the comfort suitable for sleeping, working or simply relaxing away from the heat; this system consumes about 15 times less energy than an air conditioner.

• Install a shading system . Setting up curtains (perhaps white, which absorb less heat) is a good idea to save energy in the summer