Cost-effective ways to beat the summer heat

August 4, 2024 96

In the Midwest, the summer months can bring the heat. Many people look forward to this season for a variety of reasons like possible vacations or camping, baseball season (for local kids and professional teams), and fun summer activities like gardening, swimming, and biking. The part of the season that may be challenging is beating the heat, especially when budgets are already tight and energy costs may be rising to keep your home cool.

Illinois Extension Educator Jamie Mahlandt wrote a great blog post that discusses some ways to beat the summer heat and enjoy the change in weather. Jamie says: Whether you need to find cool places to spend time, find summer cost-saving cooking options, or home energy saving, look for ways to improve your financial wellness over the summer.

Public libraries may be an option for a cool place to relax and spend time during the peak heat of the day. Local public pools are typically a low-cost option for spending some time cooling down in a pool during the day. Many areas have local community centers or senior centers that may be an option for a break from the heat. If you are in need of assistance, contact the Illinois Department of Human Services to see if you qualify for any assistance programs to help during the summer or you can call 211 for help finding essential community services.

If you are out in the heat, please be aware of the signs of heat exhaustion, which may include headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, irritability, thirst, heavy sweating, elevated body temperature, and decreased urine output. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends staying cool, hydrated, and informed this summer regarding heat related illness.

While eating food at home tends to be more economical, you may still find additional ways to reduce the costs of food. When preparing food at home during the summer, you may want to avoid overusing the stove/oven. There is an energy cost to using the stove/oven, but the heat it produces can create an additional cost to cooling your home back down. Maybe you could try some summer recipes that do not involve the use of a stove/oven or consider cooking outside.

The Department of Energy provides some great resources and guidance on ways to conserve energy use. When trying to keep your home comfortable in the summer, try using ceiling and window fans as a way to circulate the air in addition to air conditioning.

Some additional tips from the Department of Energy are how to conserve energy while using air conditioning including programming your thermostat as high as comfortable, cleaning your air conditioning filters as needed for efficiency, utilizing window coverings during the day to block the sun’s heat, and trying to purchase energy-efficient products when possible. Enjoy your summer with ways to stay cool while also considering your health and financial wellness.

Cheri Burcham, University of Illinois Extension

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Cheri Burcham is responsible for family life programming in the counties of Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Moultrie, Shelby and other parts of east central Illinois as needed. Cheri’s emphasis is on healthy lifestyles throughout the life span which include family relationships, communication, caregiving, stress management and human development including early childhood and healthy aging. Her passion is to help people to be their best selves and to promote a healthier, independent older population.