DURING SUMMER MONTHS, energy bills tend to creep up a bit, or in some cases, a lot as outside temperatures rise. However, there are several ways to make your home more comfortable this summer. Some of the solutions are low-cost, while others require a bigger investment. Using either strategy, you can be more comfortable and have lower energy bills this summer.

Attics can be a major source of heat gain. These areas can become extremely hot and radiate heat through the ceiling and into your living space. Adequate insulation and abundant venting through the roof is an energy efficient solution.

Another important step is to seal air leaks around windows, doors, plumbing and wiring penetrations.

Excess heat can also be generated inside your home and at your expense. Here are some steps you can take to minimize this.

• Make it a habit to turn off lights and TVs in rooms that aren’t in use.
• Incandescent light bulbs generate a lot of heat. Replace them with LEDs.
• Unplug devices when you aren’t using them, including chargers, computers, monitors, and other electronics. Many of these devices use phantom power that keeps them on constantly (even when they’re not in use),  which generates heat.
• Set your water heater temperature not higher than 120 degrees.
• Maintain appliances for peak efficiency.
• Set your refrigerator thermostat to no lower than 38 degrees.
• Minimize use of your oven, and don’t run the dishwasher or washing machine until they are full.

Now that you’ve worked on keeping heat out of your home and minimizing the heat generated inside, let’s look at how to make the inside air cooler. That starts with your air conditioning system.

First, start by making sure your central AC system is working efficiently. Replace filters regularly, and check to see if supply registers are open. AC systems need to push an adequate amount of air into the supply
ductwork to function properly.

If you do not have central AC, window units can be an efficient solution if they are Energy Star-certified and only used to cool part of the home part of the time. Make sure to seal any openings around window units.

The least expensive way to cool yourself is air movement. A ceiling or portable fan can make a room feel up to 10 degrees cooler, but fans cool people—not rooms. Turn them off when you’re not in the room. When the night air is cool and not too humid, exchange your hot air for cool outdoor air by opening windows and turning on fans throughout the house.