Feeling the heat this summer? Here are some steps you can take so that all your summers aren’t this hot and stuffy. Most of these options are cost-friendly and actually reduce costs in the long run!

While you drive:

While cruising at 35mph or lower, roll down the windows to cool off.

While driving faster than 35pm, use the air-conditioner (at the low or medium levels) to cool off. The reasoning behind this is similar to the reason a parachute is used to slow things down. While you are driving fast and your windows are down, wind enters your car, which makes your car work harder (and thereby makes you use more gas) to drive at the same speed. Like a parachute catches the wind and causes resistance, so does your car.

When traveling with large objects, try to place things inside your car instead of on top of it. This allows your car to retain its aerodynamic shape and prevent wind resistance.

Buy a car that has more miles per gallon and combine trips to keep from restarting your car multiple times.

Ride your bike or walk! It’s good for you and it tones your legs!

While you’re at home:

During the warmer months, dial your thermostat slightly upward, and during the cooler months, dial your thermostat slightly downward. The logic behind this is that the less temperature differential the air-conditioning system has to maintain between the outside and inside temperatures, the less energy will be used.

Avoid using air-conditioning at all if you can help it by opening up windows to let the breeze in, strategically planting shading trees outside your house to cover your windows, and closing your blinds when the sun is shining in.

But if you must use air-conditioning, make sure to replace your air filters as recommended because a dirty filter can make it harder to pull and suck air, which causes you to use more energy.

When washing clothes, use the energy preferred option on your washing machine and change the setting to “cold” or “warm” but not “hot” water.

When drying clothes, make sure to dry a full load, switch to the energy preferred option, and clean out the lint filters after every load (for the same reason you should change your air filters).

Switch all your light bulbs to CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) because they use a quarter the amount of energy of standard incandescent bulbs and they last at least 8 times longer!

These changes are affordable and easy ways to make a big impact, especially if you spread the word to your friends and if you do your own research on how you can make an even a greater impact with your energy-wise choices. Go green!

By: Diana Kraikittikun | Image: Weheartit