Electricity bills for most homeowners each summer increase dramatically because of the energy costs to run air conditioners. A/C units and the heat from and energy use by other appliances in the home are the major contributors to high energy costs. To realize significant energy savings, homeowners should put together a Summer Energy Savings Plan that uses energy in your home effectively and efficiently.

There are dozens of different actions you can take to make your home more energy efficient and/or to use the appliances or systems in your home more effectively. Some of these do not cost a thing to implement. Some are inexpensive items. Other have a significant cost but a large enough return on investment to make the cost worthwhile. These include:

• Investing in a high efficiency ENERGY STAR® certified Air Conditioning system. While expensive, the energy cost savings will repay you for your investment in three to five years. The new A/C also adds to the resale value of your home.
• Investing in any new ENERGY STAR or energy efficient home appliance.
• Re-roofing your home with reflective shingles.
• Installing awnings on windows to keep sun and heat out of the house.
• Installing new double pane windows.

Besides adding to the resale and appraised value of your home now, the cost of these improvements will be repaid within five years from the energy cost savings realized from their energy savings benefits.

Inexpensive and free things you can do to create energy savings include:

• Using heat producing appliances in the evening when temperatures are cooler.
• Replacing all incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Check A/C filter regularly (once a month). Clean or replace as needed.
• Use ceiling fans with your A/C unit.
• Turn up the thermostat when you leave home for several hours.
• Better yet, get a programmable thermostat.

Finally, call to investigate new energy efficient air conditioning system installation and its costs as the HVAC Energy Savings Home Energy Savings piece of the plan.