8 Tips For Keeping Your Apartment Cool This Summer

Summer can be a great time for barbecues and beach activities, but it can also be unbearably hot, especially in Malta. On those days, it’s tempting to turn on the air conditioning and forget about the energy bill. But high energy consumption associated with cooling houses contributes to global warming and puts a strain on our planet’s resources. Thankfully there are some tricks you can use to keep yourself cool while saving money and being kind to the environment.

Install Fans or Air Conditioners

Fans and air conditioners are two of the most popular ways to keep your apartment cool during the summer months. Fans work well if you don’t need too much cooling power—a few strategically placed fans can move enough air around your home to make it noticeably cooler. Air conditioners offer more powerful cooling options but can come with a high price tag. Before investing in an A/C unit, do some research on what type of unit would work best for your space and budget. 

Ceiling fans are also great for circulating air throughout a room, but they won’t actually make the air any cooler – so be sure to turn them off when you’re not in the room! Instead, use fans strategically by placing them near windows where they can draw in cooler outside air during the evening hours when temperatures tend to dip. 

Block Out The Sunlight 

The sun is one of the biggest contributors to heat buildup in apartments. To stop this from happening, consider installing blackout curtains or blinds on windows that get direct sunlight during peak hours (generally between 10 am-4 pm). This will not only block the bright light from entering your home but also help retain cool air by blocking out hot air from outside. Plus, blackout curtains can also double as insulation during cold winter months! 

Create Cross Breezes 

Open windows near each other on opposite sides of your apartment so that a cross breeze sweeps through the room and creates a pleasant cooling effect inside your home. You can also use ceiling or floor fans to circulate air around the room even further and create an even stronger cooling effect. Just remember to close all windows before you leave your apartment so that no hot air enters while they’re open! 

Cook Outside

Cooking indoors on a hot summer day only adds more heat to an already sweltering space – so why not move your kitchen outdoors? Whether you’re grilling burgers or making tacos on a portable stovetop, cooking outside is a great way to beat the heat while still enjoying all of your favorite summer dishes!

Get Rid Of Incandescent Light Bulbs

If you’re struggling to keep your home cool, there is an oft-forgotten element at play: incandescent lightbulbs. Since they have been phased out in many countries, it’s easy to overlook the impact these bulbs have on our cooling systems. However, they tend to produce lots of heat while using up quite a bit of energy – something that many outdated homes are yet to acknowledge. But if you wished to combine the benefits of both improved comfort levels and decreased electricity costs without having to reach for the air-conditioner all the time, then the solution is simple; switch to energy-saving lightbulbs that use much less energy, making them a great way of staying cool!

Vent Out Warm Air

As the summer heat intensifies, ways to keep cool become a priority for many. It can be tempting to rely exclusively on the fans that blow the cool air at you, you should also not discount those fans that are designed to suck out the air from your space. These typically come in the form of stove fans, designed as part of the hood above your stove or in your bathroom ceiling light fixture. 

They help encourage a constant circulation of cooling air within your living space, ultimately achieving better relief in extreme temperatures. This type of fan is ideal for more enclosed spaces with fewer windows, allowing you to retain a safe level of warmth inside while remaining properly cooled off.

Repaint Your Apartment In Lighter Colors

Repainting can be a fun way to switch up the look of your home – and it’s also a great way to keep the summer heat at bay. By selecting lighter colors for your walls, you will opt for fewer pigments and this will allow less heat to be absorbed into your apartment. With a cool, neutral color scheme and reflection of natural light, you can ensure your home stays vibrant and comfortable during sweltering summer days as an alternative to air conditioning. Paint it yourself or enlist a professional, either way, you are sure to come up with some creative solutions and end up with a beautiful new space.

Open Your Windows At Night

While this may seem obvious, plenty of people forget to make a point of letting their windows open at night. Summer nights can be unbearable when the temperature lingers long after sunset, but luckily many warmer days bring cooler air to help us catch a much-needed rest. Taking advantage of these pleasant breezes is a simple way to cool down an apartment without taxing the AC unit. Operating with natural ventilation and open windows is far less noisy and energy-intensive than turning on machines, allowing you to breeze through your night with even more comfort. In short, taking advantage of nature’s cooling nocturnal winds will help you and your wallet go to sleep happy and cooled down.