By James Kenton

When the temperature starts soaring in the summer months, you start noticing your energy bills soaring right along with the thermometer. You and your family need to keep cool, but the rising energy costs may be stressful to an already stretched personal budget.

This is a great time to remember all the ways you can make your home more energy efficient. There are small things you can do to help, such as:

• keeping the house a degree or two warmer,
• maintaining a consistent temperature on the thermostat,
• making sure all lights and fans are turned off when not in use,
• replacing traditional light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs,
• keeping windows and doors shut tight,
• and closing the blinds or curtains during the daytime.

There are also bigger investments you can make to help your home become more energy efficient. These investments can provide a bigger payoff in the long run. A few of these improvements include:

• installing new energy efficient windows and doors
• installing solar panels
• using energy efficient appliances
• following the ENERGY STAR’s recommendations for Heating and Cooling Efficiently

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