Lower or raise your thermostat – While we all like warmth, in the winter months turn it down a few degrees and up a few degrees when the AC is cranking in the summer. Dropping or raising (depending on the season) by just three to five degrees not only uses less energy, but saves on your utility bills.

Insulate windows – If your windows have any air leaks, that’s an energy waster and money blowing away. There are a number of easy and inexpensive remedies, including caulking your windows and adding plastic weather stripping along the window sashes.

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Hopefully, you take a more lion-like approach to saving energy around your home. By being a March lion now, you can save energy and money every month. 

Find and seal leaks around your home – Seal the air leaks around open areas, pipes, chimneys, and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets.

Keep your fireplace damper closed (of course, unless a fire is burning) – Keeping the damper open allows warm air to go right up the chimney, so make sure to keep it closed when not in use. You can also install tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system to blow warmed air back into the room when you have the fireplace cranking.

April showers bring May flowers. Spring into April with some energy-saving tips that will shower you in savings all year long. 

Outdoor inspection – Take a visual inspection around your home to see if winter did any damage. If it’s just a minor repair or paint touch-up that you can take on, d o it. But if it requires more professional care, now would be a great time to line someone up and get it done. Simple caulking of windows on the outside can slow or stop drafts or air loss and prevent warm air from seeping into your home during the summer months.

New doors – If you have older doors in your home, you may want to look into the advantages of installing new ones. Not only do they look great, but they are more energy efficient, with stronger seals to prevent air loss. 

Spring is here, summer is on the way, and energy-saving ideas are plentiful. This is a great time to give your AC system a tune-up, clean the filters so it’ s operating at peak capacity and not wasting energy.

If you have an older AC unit, now may be the time to consider purchasing a new one. Consider Energy Star certified units with a SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating of 14.5 or higher. These can result in saving hundreds of dollars every year and thousands over the lifetime of the unit.

Remember to vacuum air intake vents regularly to remove any dust buildup and make sure that furniture and other objects are not blocking the airflow through your registers. 

Who would have thought that a good house cleaning can be an energy saver? Well, it can. While you’re dusting off your shelves and countertops, give your electronic equipment a good wipe, too.

Dust can prevent electronic equipment from running efficiently and using more power. And you won’t believe how much dust can accumulate on refrigerator coils, dryer vents and ceiling fans, that can impede their efficiency.