Summer is here and with it has brought long sunny days and soaring temperatures. The heat outside is going to be a factor but when you are inside, you can always turn on your cooling systems but there is one little, or should we say, big problem with this. As you turn the thermostat of your AC colder, your energy bills shoot up. The question is, can you bear this extra expense? We do not know about that but what we do know is that you can bring them significantly down and still enjoy the cool produced by your unit. You will also be helping the environment by lowering your energy footprint. Let’s take a look at how you can lower your energy output. Regulate the temperature of your thermostat Which temperature do you usually operate your unit on? Did you know this actually affects your bills, and the impact is quite significant? For every 3 degree increase in your thermostat temperature, your bill drops by 20%. That’s a lot especially when you consider how much you will save annually. Next time you turn on your AC, make sure the temperature is not too low. Increase it a little; the coolness in the room will not be affected that much, but your bills will be.Some people find this difficult so you can start increasing the temperature by one degree at a time rather than a sudden increase of three degrees. Better yet, get a programmable thermostat The Environmental Protection Agency or EPA states that by using a programmable thermostat, you can reduce your bill by as much as $180 on a yearly basis. How much does one cost? Around $25 for the thermostat and a nominal fee for the installation Use a ceiling

fan Do you have ceiling fans installed in your home? Hopefully the answer is yes. Use them often because they help circulate air in the room and reduce the need of turning on or lowering the air conditioning unit. What you might not know is that your fans should rotate in a counterclockwise direction so that cool air can be drawn upwards. This is really efficient for these hot summer days. Open the windows but draw the curtains The temperatures during the midday are usually higher than the ones observed during the morning and evening. While you may not want to do this throughout the day, you can at least open your doors and windows at the start and end of the day. Source: www.csmonitor.com