As the temperature has been upwards of 305 kelvin lately, I’ve been sweating in my apartment even while the air conditioner pumps and while wearing less clothing than what is socially acceptable in public. Hence, my electricity bill has shot up from the $40s to the $70s, with the next bill expected to be $90. The truth is I don’t use energy efficiently.
While I do not have control over my appliances which appear as if they were built in the early 1980s, before the EnergyStar campaign, I may benefit by following some suggestions from MSN Money’s 25 Cheap Ways to Keep Your House Cooler.
Many of the tips won’t apply to apartment-dwellers like myself, but there are some useful hints. Here are some I plan on implementing or have already done:
* I should add a fan to move the air around more, which will allow me to set the thermostat higher (less cool).
* I already replaced most of my incandescent lightbulbs with fluorescent.
* A lot of air leaks to the outside from my apartment around doors and windows. I should add weather stripping.
* Turn off my “entertainment center” power strips when not in use.
Updated August 4, 2006 and originally published August 3, 2006. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
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Luke Landes founded Consumerism Commentary in 2003 and has been building online communities since 1990. Luke, also known as Flexo, has contributed to PC World Magazine, US News, Forbes, and other publications. 
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Kelvin? Kelvin Bryant?? I never thought a middling running back from the Redskins would ever get a temperature format named after him. Although he was often a “hot” option coming out of the backfield…
July was a hot month here in Southern California but August has been much cooler. We were using the AC and two fans to keep cool last month. The worst part was there was no breeze to stir up the stale air. I hope August does not revert back to July like weather. The list for cooling down the place is helpful. Thanks.