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How best to keep your apartment or condo cool

Modern Living Room With Air Conditioner, Sofa, Potted Plant And Yellow Wall Staying comfy in an apartment during the summer can be a challenge. Act now on rebates to add the all-season comfort of a heat pump or see below for five tips on how to survive the heat in your condo or apartment.

Take advantage of our heat pump rebate, or rely on these tips

B.C.'s 2021 heat dome that shattered high-temperature records across B.C. was a warning that our summers are getting warmer, and that the heat can be dangerous. Daily highs in many areas of B.C. during the 2021 heat dome were at least five degrees hotter on average than the previous major heat wave here in 2009.

If you're in an apartment in B.C., particularly one with windows that face south and/or west, you know how uncomfortable it can get in the summer. The good news is that heat pump rebates of up to $2,250 are now available to qualifying condo and apartment dwellers. And if you qualify by income, CleanBC Energy Savings Program rebates can be as high as $5,000.

Even if you're not in the position to a heat pump to your home – heat pumps provide winter heating and summer air conditioning – there are ways to make your condo or apartment more comfortable in the summer.

1. Block the sun, keep the chill

Use your window coverings strategically each day to reduce solar heat gain. It's all about timing: as soon as the sun hits your windows, block it.

Consider installing thick, reflective window coverings – including blackout curtains, solar shades or window film – on south‑ and west‑facing windows. These window coverings can reduce solar heat gain by up to 70%, keeping interior spaces significantly cooler during peak sun hours.

2. Get in the flow with cross-ventilation

Open windows on opposite sides of your unit in the early morning and evening, when outdoor air is coolest. A box or tower fan placed near a window can also help draw in cool air. But as soon as the air outside is warmer than the air inside your home, close those windows and doors.

3. Refresh your home with nighttime cooling

Keep an eye on the outdoor temperature. As soon as it cools in the evening, open those doors and windows and get that air flow working to make it more comfortable to sleep and to set things up nicely before the sun's arrival the next morning.

4. Avoid using heat-creating appliances during the day

Avoid using your oven, your clothes dryer, or any other appliance that produces heat when possible. Using a microwave or small appliance instead of the oven – or opting for salads, smoothies or other summer menu options – can help keep your home cooler. Same goes for hanging laundry to dry. 

5. Cool your body, and your space

Dress in breathable fabrics such as cotton or linen, try using cold washcloths or ice packs on pulse points (such as your wrists or neck), and discover the cooling of even a small desk fan. Just make sure to turn all cooling fans off when you're out of the room to save energy. Fans work by cooling the skin, but don't actually lower the temperature in a room except when they're placed near an open window to draw cooler outside air into your home.

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