Summer is right around the corner which means that high energy bills are coming too! Contrary to what many people believe, cooling down a hot room does not solely rely on your air conditioner. Here are a few easy ideas for you to use the next time you start to bake in the summer heat.

For many homeowners, their energy bills are typically the costliest of their ongoing monthly expenses. The first step to reducing this bill is to find out how energy efficient your home is. Evaluating home energy efficiency is the key to understanding where the problems lie in your home.

• One of the keys for lowering your home heating and cooling bills is having the proper duct work in place. If you don’t currently have any, then it is time to install some.
• Another tip is paint. How a room is painted is going to affect the temperature of that room. Try to paint in the colder end of the color spectrum which includes the various shades of blue, green, black, white or grey.
• Installing dark colored shades or curtains, and keeping them closed during the hottest portions of the day is going to cool off the room significantly.
• If you have to be around the house throughout the day, then try using a fan. A few well placed fans throughout the house, usually near the doorways and windows is going to help create a breeze throughout the entire house. This helps to reduce the temperature in that oven of a room, since heat likes to radiate, cooling off other rooms is going to help create an area for the heat to escape to.