I figured that 3 summers worth of stupid high air conditioning cost was enough.
- That first summer was understandable.
When we moved down here from the north, we knew that there was going to be a real change in our climate. That was evident the first day we got here. We moved in about mid June and I had the air conditioning on full blast just driving the moving van once we got close to our destination. But then, when I got of our the truck and all that great air conditioning comfort, the heat and humidity hit me like a wall. It’s like stepping out into what I would imagine an equatorial climate would be like without the sea breeze. The heat hits hard but then is followed up with a humidity level that leverages that high temperature into straight misery. So that first summer, we just really didn’t know what else to do but lean on the thermostat. And lean on the thermostat we did. To the point that our air conditioning costs were mirroring the HVAC heating costs that we just left behind. However, the second and third summers were on us. We just didn’t want to acclimate to the heat of summer. The plan seemed to be just stay inside with the central air conditioning maxing out for four months. Then, enjoy the best 8 months of weather that followed. This year, we sealed up the house, stopped direct sunlight heating with drapes and no more leaning on the thermostat. It’s the end of July and the first full month of summer utility bills is in. We are saving a staggering amount on HVAC cooling and we’re enjoying our summer more as well.