We all love a student rental with air conditioning – things get hot and humid in the summer. But it’s not like you can replace windows, upgrade your thermostat, or otherwise alter the house – you’re renting it after all. So how are you supposed to stop your utility bills from ruining your weekend spending? Without sweating to death, of course?
Here are 10 tips and renter-friendly steps you can take to stay cool without overworking your AC and your wallet:
- Turn the thermostat up just 3 or 4 degrees. It won’t make a big difference in how the apartment feels, but it’ll reduce the number of times your AC unit turns on and how long it has to run to maintain the temperature. You can also use an electric fan alongside the AC, because it allows the cold air to circulate faster and helps you save on electricity costs in the long run.
- Box fans are the truth. On not-too-horrible days, instead of running your AC, open a couple of windows and stick a box fan in one of them. You’d be surprised how nice and cool a cross breeze feels even on a warm day.
- Keep frozen treats in the house! There are zero downsides to this. Simply eating a popsicle or an ice cream can lower your core body temperature, making you cooler.
- Pull the blinds. We all love natural sunlight, but at the same time, it’s not helping your efforts to keep cool. Enjoy the morning sunlight and then close the curtains when it starts to get warm; you’ll notice a difference in how much your AC has to work almost immediately.
- Take a cold shower. Feeling a little overheated? A cold shower, like a popsicle, can lower your body temperature and get you back to feeling comfortable and cool.
- Be strategic about meal prep. If you’re trying to keep the house cool, it’s not the time for a stir-fry. Try to keep cooking on mornings, and always use the exhaust fan to minimize heat accumulation. Or cook outside! Summer nights are the perfect excuse to grill out anyway.
- Choose breathable bed sheets. Linen’s the best, but regular cotton is a great option, too, and less expensive. Keep things in light colors, too, that won’t absorb heat.
- Close doors. If you have an extra room, a roommate is gone for the weekend, or you know you won’t use your bedroom until it’s late and cool out again, close doors off. Fewer places for the AC to cool = AC turning on less.
- Ask your landlord to double-check that all the windows are properly sealed. A drafty window can be just as bad for energy loss in the summer as it is in the winter.
- Don’t forget to drink water! The more dehydrated you are, the less your body is able to regulate its own temperature. Plus, if you throw some ice in there, you’ll cool yourself down, too.
And all the money you save on not running that AC system morning, noon, and night? There’s always a JackieO’s down the street… just saying.
A Responsive Athens Rental Company Provides You with All the Amenities You’ll Need
Some student apartments might seem like a steal at first, with low rent. But, upon closer inspection, you’ll find out that the amenities and features aren’t up to standard. And, during the hot summer months or frigid winter season, you’ll want to be living in a luxury apartment in Athens with central cooling and heating, useful appliances, and nice installed flooring. In choosing an OU off-campus apartment, you should look for responsive property managers. Because throughout your lease, it’s possible that certain things in your rental may malfunction or stop working properly. Imagine having to suffer through summer with a broken AC unit. That would be such a terrible experience.
With a reputable landlord, you can rely on them to fix things up quickly. Choosing the right rental company can make your entire off-campus living experience stress-free. And, at Kleinpenny Rentals, we do our best to keep our apartments and homes well-maintained. We’re also happy to quickly respond to any of your maintenance requests. When you rent any of our well-located student rentals, you can truly make the most of your college life with all this freedom.