Whether or not you plan to be home during the swarm event, try closing your sheers or curtains to help stop as much sunlight from coming in to warm up the room. If your curtains are not fully room-darkening, you will still have plenty of natural light to go about your day. However, if you do have shades that block out the sun entirely, and you still need light, try closing the curtains in one room and moving to another room that does not get as much direct sunlight.
You don’t have to turn your AC off completely in order to save energy. In fact, raising the temperature of your AC to 78 F or higher will still save you energy and give you the opportunity to earn money. By increasing the temperature, the flow of air conditioning into your home will slow down, allowing you to use less energy overall.
Let’s say you live in an apartment with two other roommates, and each of you have a small AC unit in your bedroom, as well as one in the living room. During a swarm event, you could all turn the AC units off in your bedrooms and hang out in the living room. As long as you turn the bedroom units off, shut the doors, and leave the living room unit on, you are saving energy and staying cool! By shutting the doors, the living room will feel much cooler. If you have central AC, close the air vents in unused rooms to avoid cooling other spaces.
Even if you plan to spend the day inside, still wear cool clothing. If you need some recommendations, check out one of our earlier Buzz Blogs on the top 5 most sustainable clothing brands to shop from!
Also, try spending your time doing a calm activity, like reading a book, taking a nap, watching your favorite TV show (on your laptop or phone to save energy), or by going outside and spending time in the shade or in a NYC cooling center.
For fun and cheap things to do in NYC this summer, visit our other Buzz Blog here and some other cool resources from NYC.
The more watts you save, the higher your rewards but it is still important to stay cool and hydrated during a heatwave. While AC units are a major source of electricity, there are plenty of other ways to save if it’s not possible to reduce AC temp! In the kitchen, for example, you can skip the heat-dry setting on the dishwasher and simply air dry your dishes by leaving the door open. You can also unplug any unused devices like the toaster or coffee maker. Turn off your television. Avoid using electrical appliances such as blow-dryers.
For more tips on how to save in certain parts of your home, check it out here!
