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Stay cool this summer

by Powershop on December 18, 2019

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As it heats up this Summer make sure you stay safe. Here are our tips for staying cool in the heat.

But before we get into it, you should always consider your personal health and the health of those around you.

Get your home ready

Keep your house cool

Identify the coolest room in your home, so you know where to go to keep cool, especially if you don’t have an air-con.

Planting trees and shrubs around the home can also help to reduce temperatures around the home by up to 3 degrees ¹. However, do your research, as it’s important to pick the right trees and plant them at the appropriate distance from the home to avoid damage from root systems and falling branches ¹.

Ventilation

If your first thought was to open up the house for some ventilation, first check the outside air temperature. When it is getting really hot outside, your best bet is to use a fan to circulate the air, close windows, blinds and doors to avoid the sun shining through. Once the outside temperature is lower than inside, opening the windows and doors is a good idea.

Smarter Air Conditioning

Air conditioning is usually the biggest drain on power bills and while cutting cooling costs can deliver big savings, it’s easier said than done on a scorcher of a day. So rather than turning it off altogether set the temperature to a moderate temperature, to help reduce costs. Depending on where you live in Australia, the ideal air-con temperature should be set to around 25 degrees for cooling in summer for maximum energy efficiency ².

If you don’t have air conditioning at home, consider spending the day somewhere that does, like a library, cinema or shopping centre.

Look after your pets

Make sure your pets have plenty of shade and enough cool water to last the entire day. Putting ice cubes in their bowl will help keep their water cool for longer. Try a wet towel on the ground for them to lie on – they’ll thank you for it! And remember, if the ground is too hot for your hand, then it is too hot for their paws.

References
1. Reduce temperatures around the home by up to 3 degrees (energy.gov website)
2. Aircon should be set to around 25 degrees (canstarblue website)

Get yourself ready

Dress lightly

Lighter clothing helps your body stay cool. Light / white-coloured clothing reflects heat and sunlight keeping you cool for longer. But be careful, some white fabrics let UV light through so you can get burnt even through clothing! Check the label for a UV rating and always be sun smart! .

Stay out of the sun

Take shelter. If you need to be out in the sun, wear a shirt, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Sunburn will affect your body’s ability to cope with the heat.

Stay hydrated

Make sure you’ve got water close at hand. Try to drink two to three litres of water each day and avoid alcohol and caffeine as this can dehydrate you.

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