How to keep cool without breaking the bank

Queensland’s heat and humidity makes our homes uncomfortable and at times unhealthy.

That’s because most of our homes are not built to keep the heat out and cool in.

No matter how well designed your home is, keeping cool can mean big energy bills.

It does not have to be that way.

How do our bodies cool down?

Sweat and air flow

A person’s body cools down by 3 to 4 ℃ when sweat evaporates from our skin.

It is air flow, such as a fan, that helps sweat to evaporate and keep us cool.

Humidity will slow down the evaporation of our sweat. That’s why humid heat feels hotter. But air flow helps with this too!

With that in mind, let’s tackle our sweaty summers!

The energy efficient way to keep cool at home

1- Shade it

Sun shining directly on us, a poorly insulated room and its glazing will heat things up, especially during a Queensland summer! Use trees, shade sails, curtains, blinds - anything - to shade it.

2 - Get the breeze

If the temperature and humidity outside is less than it is inside your home, open external doors and windows to increase air flow. If it’s hotter outside than inside, turn on the fan!

3 - Air conditioning

Combine your fan with air conditioning on ‘dry’ mode. The breeze and lower humidity will help you feel cooler. If not, it’s time for cooling.

For every 1℃ higher you set your air conditioner to, you’ll save 10% in air conditioning electricity. So set the temperature at 25-27 ℃, keep your fan on and it will feel like 21-24 ℃!

Don’t forget to close internal doors and windows attached to the room you’re cooling. This will prevent warmer air entering the room from other areas.