The summer is on us, and thankfully, after almost 2 years of lockdown in your home, you can all look forward to some cool, fun time outdoors. While you get your fair share of sunshine as the weather calls for, we are sure you'd always love coming back to a cool and comfortable home after all the fun and frolic outdoors!

We bring to you some smart, energy-saving ideas that could help you save money, time, effort, and the precious environment. The sustainable solutions that help you keep your surroundings cool in summer will blow your mind away!

Switch off lights and every other electronic device:

We all are guilty of leaving our devices on standby mode. Standby or ghost power can cause your equipment to generate heat, keeping your home warm. Almost all remote-controlled devices, including fire alarms and security systems, often remain on lifelong standby power. Cut down the supply to non-essentials, and let your home breathe easy!

Bring green in:

Believe it or not, bringing some outdoors indoors with the help of the right plants could help keep your home cool. It looks pleasant, feels soothing, and gives your interiors a fresh, happy vibe.

Use drapes to cool off:

Believe it or not, your curtains can make your house cool to the eye and to live in. A study shows that you can save up to 25% of your energy costs on cooling and heating your homes during summer and winter, respectively, just by using blackout curtains. These curtains can trap heat during winters and keep your home warm, while in summer, they block out sunlight and heat and keep your home cool. Remember to draw them close, especially the north and west-facing windows and doors, while stepping out this summer and see the difference!

Water your lawns in the evening:

Your front yard and backyard should be watered in the evening instead of the morning when the sun's intensity is bound to force water to evaporate faster. Cooling off during the day makes sure that long days end with a cool vibe. Just pull out some chairs on your patio with chilled drinks after a hectic day out, and you are all set to enjoy the summer vibe!

Use lighter shades of paints for your home:

Interior and exterior colours could make a lot of difference when looking for a sustainable cooling solution for long, hot summer days. When selecting paints, look for shades that don't absorb heat from your surroundings. Pastels in green, blue, and white are relatively cooler colours. They are soothing for the eyes and help keep your home cool.

Look for ample ventilation:

If we have learned anything during the covid induced home lockdown, our homes need to be airy with proper air circulation. If you are in the process of finding a new home, make sure it has adequate air ducts, which are essentially areas that let the air circulate freely. Well ventilated homes are cooler because they are cooled by the breeze cruising through them. You could achieve the same effect by opening opposite facing doors and windows during cooler hours.

Run the air conditioning at optimal temperature:

It's over 100 degrees outside, but setting your HVAC at 50 degrees won't help in cooling faster! If anything, it would mean you are consuming more energy to get the same kind of cooling effect. Ensure the cooling is set optimally at 77 *F or 25*C, which will also ensure the energy bills don't make you sweat later!

Use sustainable, eco-friendly material while doing up your home:

When renovating your home, ask your contractor to suggest earth-friendly alternatives. For example, using less glass in construction could reduce the heat-trapping ( greenhouse effect). Similarly, tiles like terracotta could be more viable for specific areas like patios and some walls since these are known to keep your home cool.

Change your lighting:

While we are on renovation, look at your light sources. If you are still using age-old filament light bulbs/ CFL, time to get LIT with LED! Look for cooler tones too. Warmer tones like yellow and orange make you friends, so stick to whites and easy-on-the-eye lighting for your homes. Candles during summer are also a big no-no. Instead, shift to LED lights for cosy evenings.

Use Cotton!

From bed sheets to curtains, upholstery to covers and drapes, make sure you switch to cotton - at least during summer. Cotton upholstery is cooler to touch during the summer, it does not retain heat, and they are easy to maintain, too, since most of the cotton drapes can be machine washed.