If you reside in the Philippines, summer means several things to you: yummy halo halo, ice cold sago’t gulaman, beautiful people lying on the white sand beach, vacation and more often than not – hot sticky sweat. The temperature in the Philippines this year is expected to rise to 38 degrees celcius. This also means higher electricity bill because nobody wants that icky sticky sweaty feeling! So prepare your water coolers, bring out those fans because here are small ways to keep your summer nights cooler and your electricity bill lower:

Keep it cooler inside:
Aircon
• Keep your shared closed when turning on the aircon. It will keep the temperature in the room cooler = less work for your aircon, lower electricity consumption.

• Buy light shaded colors (if you can’t find white) as they will reflect the light and heat away from your house.

• Twice a month, every week – depends on your diligence and available time, clean your aircon filter. It will make for a smoother run.

• Avoid placing heat producing appliances beside your aircon as this may “trick” your aircon into thinking the room is actually warmer than it already is – will make your aircon work double time (higher electricity consumption!)

• Try to practice this: use a timer for your aircon and around 2 hours before you sleep or when it gets significantly coldest in the night, turn it off and let your electric fan do the cooling. Imagine the 2 hour savings you’ll get from turning off the aircon!

Ceiling Fans
Can’t afford aircon? Use ceiling fans and make sure the fans blow downward and in a counter clockwise direction.

Washing Machines
Wash your clothes at night when it’s cooler, as the washing machine produces additional heat.
Use cold water to wash clothes if possible, to put less strain (and lower electricity bill) on your heater.

Kitchen
The stove is one of the most heat generating appliances in the house so if possible, turn on the fan so the heat produced goes out of the house instead of inside the house. Also, try to cook less or prepare no cooks meals such as sandwiches. Nothing beats a cool meal to end a hot day!

Refrigerator
Dust buildup on your refrigerator’s cooling coils will decrease energy efficiency and shorten the life span of its compressor so clean it every 3 months (depending on amount of dust that settles in your house).

Cooling from the outside
Trees! Plant them in the area where the sun hits the hottest. Shade your aircon with it. Keep away from trees that shed too much (like mahogany) as it will only clog your gutters if you’re too lazy to clean up after it.

Paint your roof a light shade – if not white. Black will only absorb heat.

Insulate your attic or ceiling. Some people have put up to 12 inches of insulation just to cool their homes. Insulation is available in your friendly neighborhood hardware store.

Doing landscaping? Put more greens, than stones, rocks, cements or asphalt. They only soak up more heat.

And you know what’s almost completely free? Going to the mall! Assuming the mall you’re visiting has aircon, you will be entertained, and definitely be cooled.

Ven Santos writes about various Philippines Real Estate Properties including townhouses, condominiums, agricultural raw lands, residential golf villages and Houses for Sale in the Philippines