12 Ways to Cool Your House Without Increasing Your Electricity Bill

If your summers are scorchers, you've probably seen your electricity bill soar. Many are experiencing the rise in living costs, and one way to withstand economic downturns is by reducing your monthly expenses.

Central air can cost anywhere between $30 and $270 per month to run, depending on the size of your home. A window air conditioning unit is a bit cheaper, but still costs on average $20-55 per month. Over the course of a single summer, you can rack up a major bill.

Fortunately, there are plenty of time-tested alternatives to air conditioning, and some options cost nothing at all, while others require minimal expense. Try one, or try them all, and you could massively reduce your electric bill without suffering an unbearably hot home.

Natural ventilation in your home will always help it feel cooler, even if the air coming in is initially warm. Moving air around makes it cooler. If you don't have a fan, open as many windows as you can to create a cross breeze. 

The effect will be almost immediate, especially in the evening when the air naturally begins to cool down.

Blackout curtains don't just help you sleep, but they also help your house stay cooler during a heatwave by blocking out sunlight. Some blackout curtains and blinds are even specifically designed to be thermally regulating and filter out UV radiation. 

Blackout curtains are especially beneficial in south-facing rooms as these get substantially hotter from the constant direct sunlight.

Ceiling fans are much cheaper to run than air conditioning, and they can make a real difference to the temperature of a room. However, you must remember to switch the direction of the blades to counterclockwise, which pushes cool air down. 

You may find that once your ceiling fan is rotating in the right direction, you won't need an AC at all.

While this isn't the most aesthetically pleasing method, hanging a damp sheet near your open window reduces the temperature in a room. 

The damp sheet activates evaporative cooling; the water absorbs heat from the incoming sunlight as it evaporates. The sheet doesn't need to be dripping wet, wring it out before hanging.

This method turbocharges evaporation cooling. All you need is a bowl, pan, or bucket filled with ice or ice-cold water and a fan. Position the fan directly in front of the ice. Now, the air the fan distributes will be the cooler air from the ice bucket.

Indoor window treatment can help cool down your house, but you'll get even better results if you also install external window coverings. 

Traditionally, shutters were used for this very reason: they block the heat and reduce the temperature of the window glass. Shutters don't have to be expensive; you can find reclaimed ones on eBay or in antique stores.

Did you know that all the cozy rugs, pillows, and blankets in your living room are trapping heat? 

Bulky and fluffy items are especially unhelpful to have lying around in hot weather, but even smoother fabrics and textiles, if there's a lot of them, will make a room hotter by containing hot air. So, roll up those rugs and put the blankets into storage until you need them again in winter.

Every single item in your home that runs on electricity, from an incandescent lightbulb to a phone charger, converts some of the energy it uses into heat. All the appliances running inside your home add up and make it warmer. 

If you have a home office that has three computers running, for example, the room will be substantially hotter than the rest of the house. Turn off and unplug everything you're not using during hot weather.

If all the windows in your home are on the same side, opening windows won't help. Instead, create a cross-breeze with two fans positioned at opposite ends of a room, pulling air in the same direction. 

You can also try directing the fans downward by pushing the cooler air that settles near the floor upward.

Cooking appliances like ovens can accidentally heat your home. On the hottest days of the year, skip oven roasting and baking or use an outdoor grill if you have one. 

If you must cook, then use a toaster oven, air fryer, or microwave. Also, try cooking in smaller batches for shorter periods and refrigerating.

You can buy a mattress cooling pad, but there is a cheaper and simpler alternative: ice packs. Simply place them on your mattress, then cover up with a blanket and/or towels so that you're not too cold. 

You can also use this method in your living room by placing ice packs on top of your couch or armchair. Place them in zip-top bags before using on your furniture, though, so they don't leave water behind as they defrost.

Humid air feels hotter. If you live in an area with high humidity, then reducing the humidity inside your home can help create a more comfortable environment. 

Use a dehumidifier or place dehumidifier bags or Damprid containers around your house to absorb excess moisture.

While air conditioning may be the most effective way to cool down a home, it certainly isn't the best way to lower your financial stress. Test out other hacks to figure out which one makes the most sense for your space and lifestyle.

If you still feel the heat with the above methods, take a more holistic approach and reconsider the interior color scheme. Lighter-colored materials reflect light rather than absorbing it, which can help your rooms feel cooler.