Grilling to save on air conditioning
I’m taking it up a notch this Summer when it comes to saving on HVAC costs. Where I live the HVAC conversation sure isn’t about the heating. In fact, our heat pump basically hibernates for the entire Winter. I suppose calling what we experience Winter is a bit of a misnomer. That is the season but, it’s far from the sort of weather traditionally considered Winter. For us, we might yank out the space heater through the Winter a few times in the morning or something. But when you’re talking HVAC in these parts, it’s all about the air conditioning. I always have been right on top of the cooling in our home. My dad was the same way inside the central air conditioning of the house I grew up in. First comes the air conditioning tune up to maximize the heat pump’s efficiency. Then, I prep the house to preserve a great seal to keep the air conditioning in. We pull the shades and I program the digital thermostat. Well this year, I’m going one more. I noticed that every time I cooked dinner last Summer, the heat pump kicked on. So instead of heating up the house with the stove of oven, I’m using the grill for cooking this Summer. It just makes so much sense to me. And really, it’s not that big a deal. It’s so hot around here in the Summer that we prefer mostly cold sides like salads and bean salads. That kind of stuff. So any protein that needs to be cooked can be done outside. This should help me hold down the cooling costs even more.