Or: Change Your Clothes, Not the Thermostat
You may have noticed a few common recommendations missing from the list in the previous article. For example, I haven’t yet mentioned setting your thermostat to 78 °F in the summer, as the Department of Energy recommends. That’s because while raising the temperature on your thermostat is “really easy” in the sense of hitting a button, I want to acknowledge that it’s the type of change that takes a little bit more mental commitment. Most of us have gotten used to living a certain type of way, thanks to modern HVAC systems: that is, we live with a buffer that separates us from the environment outside. This buffer can allow you to live inside your home in more or less the same way year-round, doing nothing more than flipping the “heat/cool” switch twice a year.
Those HVAC systems are amazing feats of engineering, and deserve to be celebrated. But one of the easiest ways to reduce both your bills and your emissions is to use your heating and cooling less. That means relying a little bit less on that protective buffer to shelter you from changes in daily weather and in the seasons. That means taking some of the work that your HVAC system is doing, and doing it yourself.
On a related note, you may have noticed that I didn’t recommend that you buy any “smart” devices, such as thermostats or power strips. While I admit I’m drawing a fine line between programmable devices and “smart” ones, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to start your energy saving journey with a device that does all of the thinking for you. At least with a programmable thermostat, you make the program! The goal is for you to be thinking more about your house and how it is functioning—not less.
I’ll be following up with more in-depth articles about each of the following, but here are some cheap and easy ways to reduce your reliance on your HVAC system, and teach yourself some important things about your house and its relationship to the environment in the meantime. Let’s work our way from the outside—where the environment is!—to the inside, and ultimately to you.
- Pay attention to the sun. Where does the sun first hit your house in the morning? Where does it shine the longest? Are there parts of your home that are permanently shaded, and if so, is that helping or hurting your issues with heating or cooling? Could your house do with more shade, maybe from a new tree? Do you have awnings or exterior shutters? Have you ever actually operated them?
- Pay attention to the wind. Which side of your house does it typically come from? Does it change with the time of day, or the season? Do you have landscape features that are blocking the wind? What about features that help channel the wind towards your windows?
- Operate your windows. Your windows are the primary gatekeeper between the environment and you. You probably don’t think about them this way, but operable windows are an amazing invention that took hundreds of years to improve: use them as intended! There is a lot to think about here in terms of optimization, but at the simplest level: if you are trying to warm your house, and it’s warmer outside than in, open more windows. If you are trying to cool your house, and it’s cooler and less humid outside than in, open more windows. Otherwise, keep them shut! This may mean keeping an eye on the interior and exterior temperature and humidity throughout the day. If it’s cooler and less humid outside than in, and you are running your air conditioning—you’re not doing it right. If you feel like you can’t use your windows, drill down on why: does your old home have windows that don’t operate because they’re painted shut? Because they’re missing their sash chains? Or that you don’t open because you don’t have insect screens? Those are all cheap and relatively simple problems to fix that are costing you money and wasting energy if you can’t use your windows.
- Operate your curtains. Your next layer of protection is your window “treatments”: curtains, interior shutters, blinds, etc. In the winter, do you strategically open your shutters, blinds, or curtains to take advantage of free solar heat throughout the day? In the summer, do you strategically close those shutters, blinds, or curtains to keep the heat out? Again, if you can’t do this, drill down on why: do you have windows that don’t have any “treatments” at all?
- Think about the sources of heat and humidity that you generate throughout the day. Do you have kitchen or bathroom fans that vent to the exterior? Do you remember to use them when cooking or showering? If you don’t have air conditioning, the added heat and humidity from those activities are absolutely adding to your discomfort in the summer. If you do have air conditioning, that heat and humidity are making your system work harder.
- Think more about cooking and eating. In the winter, do you make a habit of cooking your meals in your oven to help heat your house? (Remember not to use your oven specifically as a heater.) In the summer, do you make a habit of grilling to keep the heat outside, or eating salads or other meals that don’t generate heat indoors? And don’t forget about the effects of foods and drinks on your body: I had a hot cup of coffee on this sweltering August morning and had to admit that it was stupid when making cold-brew is so cheap and easy if you just plan ahead a little bit. Cooking seasonally is super hip right now anyway—think of the extra benefits to your comfort and energy by organizing your life around it just a little more.
- Think about your clothing. Do you pretty much wear the same stuff indoors all year? You probably shouldn’t. Are you able to walk around your house in very few layers in the winter? If so, your heat is set too high. Do you walk around your house fully clothed in the summer? If you don’t have a compelling reason to, you are probably running your air conditioning too much. If it’s winter, dress like it—wear a sweater and some layers—and you’ll be able to keep your thermostat set lower. Even better, take another cue from Mr. Money Mustache and wear long underwear around the house during the colder months. I started doing that a few years ago, and we’ve been able to keep our heat at 65 °F. Tempted to raise the temperature? Go ahead, but put on another layer first and wait 20 minutes. Similarly, if it’s summer—dress like it. I know there’s a natural limit to how much you can remove, but the point is to be mindful and think about your habits.
Finally, in addition to the money and energy savings, I think you’ll find that there are some real benefits to living a little bit more in touch with the weather and the seasons in these ways. Although I grew up addicted to air conditioning, now when I visit someone’s home and they have the A/C running and the windows shut in May, it feels weirdly sterile. In my house, winter feels a little more like winter, and summer feels a little more like summer—and I mean that in a good way. I live in a part of the country with four seasons, and I really enjoy experiencing them. Mostly.
I will admit that I do struggle in peak summer. I run hot as it is, and we don’t have central air conditioning. Instead, we get by with window units in our bedroom and living room, plus assorted fans (and the strategies above). As I write this during what will hopefully be the last heat wave of the year, I cannot honestly describe myself as comfortable. Every year at this time, I fantasize about installing central air, and maybe someday we will. I bring this up to say that I’m not a purist, or a martyr, and I’m not asking you to be.
What I’m recommending is that you be conscious and deliberate about your habits, the way you live in and operate your house, and the way you are asking your HVAC system to compensate for those habits. I want you to be sure that when you finally do turn on (or up) the heat or air conditioning, that you’ve taken all the other cheap and easy steps first.
OK—that just about covers the basics. Ready to really dig in? Next week: the three most important concepts to understand if you want to save money and energy.