Beat the Georgetown Heat

Hot and muggy. Muggy and hot. Those are the most frequent words you’ll hear on the Georgetown weather forecast in summer. With average highs of 88°F to 95°F and lows of 74°F, keeping your home cool is essential to surviving the summer with your pocketbook and happiness intact. Fortunately, you have options to help cool your home and lower your energy costs!

Beat the Heat

Cooling accounts for as much as 40% of annual home energy expenses in Texas, so blocking heat before it gets into your house is an excellent way to reduce your bill. Try closing blinds and curtains, especially on north and west-facing windows. Better yet, invest in block-out curtains to totally shield windows. Shade windows and walls using external coverings like blinds, awnings, and large potted plants or shrubbery. Plant deciduous trees to shade your home that will still let the sun shine through in winter. You can decrease your home’s temperature by 3 to 6 degrees and save up to 25% when less sunlight makes it inside!

Limit the heat from appliances by cooking outdoors, and try not to use the dishwasher, washer, and dryer during the hottest parts of the day. Move lamps, TVs, and other appliances away from the thermostat. The extra heat they produce can cause the air conditioner to run longer. Install efficient lighting that runs cooler.—only about 1% of the electricity incandescent bulbs consume results in light, and the rest turns to heat.

Keeping Home Cool

Programmable thermostats are also a game-changer. You can adjust the thermostat overnight or when no one is home. Try setting it to 7-10°F higher than you typically would for 8 hours a day to reduce energy consumption by as much as 10%. Yes, 10%!

Ensure your system functions efficiently by replacing filters every month or two. And that big piece of metal outside? That’s the evaporator coil. Clean the evaporator coil at least once a year to ensure it has plenty of airflow. Also, remove nearby debris and trim foliage to have at least 2 feet of space around the coil.

Adjust ceiling fans so they circulate the air to help make a higher A/C setting more bearable. Make sure the fans rotate counterclockwise to push air down and not up—this is also a great fun fact to share with your little ones!

Cool Down

Enjoy the outdoors in the evenings to soak in the fresh air and help your body adjust to higher A/C settings. Sip ice-cold drinks, apply a damp cloth to your neck and other pressure points, or take a cold shower to cool off. And cover yourself and your bed in cotton! Cotton is super-breathable and helps cool your body. Wear light, loose cotton clothing and fit your bed with crisp cotton sheets.

Choose an Energy-Efficient Parmer Ranch Home

Keeping your house cool is easier than ever in a new energy-efficient home at Parmer Ranch. Choose your new home from dozens of floor plans by our four prestigious builders, known for quality and modern designs. Your home will feature new technology and modern building materials to help you stay cool all summer. Contact us today and sign up for our mailing list to get all the latest info.