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Cut energy costs sq

Don’t sweat it, folks!

The staff of the Alliance to Save Energy – which promotes energy efficiency and savings – said you can reduce up to 25 percent of your warm weather costs just by being smart!

So chill out, and follow these strategies to avoid burning a hole through your wallet this summer.

Hit The Ceiling! Ceiling fans improve a home’s air circulation, and allow your air conditioner to work less with no loss in comfort. A fan will also use just 10 percent of the energy of your air conditioner!

Set Your Stat! Make sure you have a thermostat you can program. Allow the temperature to rise when you leave for the day – and set it to get cooler a half-hour before you get home. You’ll cut about 20 percent from your monthly bill!

Screen Your Machines Change your air conditioner filter once a month. A dirty filter slows the airflow and makes the system work harder, which will add to your bill. A clean filter, on the other hand, uses 5 percent less energy than a dusty one!

Raise the Temperature You’ll cut 3 percent of your cooling costs for each degree you add to the thermostat. A 5 degree increase may not even be noticeable to you, but the 15 percent drop in your bill certainly will be.

Consolidate! Close off the doors, windows and vents in all of your empty rooms, and you will save roughly 5 to 10 percent on your AC bill!

Keep Curtains Closed! Drawing the drapes during a sunny day will lower the temperature – and you’ll only lose half of the cool air that usually gets heated through your windows!

Plug Your Leaks! Sealing your doors and windows with weather stripping and caulking is just as important in the summer as in winter, according to Alliance. It’s an inexpensive way to keep the hot air outdoors and the cool air inside!

Be Bright About Your Bulbs! Replace 100-watt incandescent light bulbs with comparable 23-watt compact fluorescent bulbs. These bulbs last a lot longer and use about half as much energy, but deliver the same amount of brightness!

Cool it With Your Laundry Heating the water in your washer takes up 90 percent of the energy used in one load of laundry. Switch to cold water washes and save between $30 and $40 a year!