Five easy steps to increase your home's energy efficiency

Maintain your heating and cooling equipment. Clean A/C units can run 5%-10% more efficiently than dirty ones. Make sure you have your A/C unit checked by a professional at least once a year. The same applies for furnaces and heaters as well; they should be checked by a professional at least once a year to make sure they are running efficiently. In addition to the annual service, you should also clean or replace furnace and A/C filters every 90 days. Making sure that the air filter is clean will allow your unit to more easily move air into the unit and into the house, reducing the energy required per cubic foot of heated or cooled air.
Plant trees and shrubs. This can be a great way to increase energy efficiency and make your home more attractive, thus increasing property value. Shade trees can keep the air under them as much as 10 degrees cooler than areas that get direct sun. Shading your roof and windows will help reduce the strain placed on you A/C unit in summer months. Trees planted on the west side of the house to shade from the intense afternoon sun will have the most dramatic impact. Shrubs that help partially shade windows can also help and will reduce heating bills in the winter by preventing wind chill. Just as wind chill affects people out in the cold it also affects your home, carrying away heated air more rapidly and making your furnace work overtime. Shrubs, fences and trees that form wind barriers will help your home stay warmer in the winter while reducing energy costs. If you live in an area with large seasonal swings, consider planting deciduous trees that will lose their leaves in winter allowing warming sun to get to your house when you need it, but provide cooling shade during long summer days.
Install a programmable thermostat. This is particularly helpful if no one is in your home during the day. Not running your A/C or heater during times of day when no one is home and having it turn on before you arrive home save lots of energy for working families, and you probably won’t even notice the difference.
Don’t use duplicate light sources. As much as possible in the summer use the sunlight to light your house and avoid turning on indoor lights. If you are going to use indoor lights make sure you use drapes and shades over your windows to keep heat from the sun getting in. Having duplicate light sources adds extra hot air to your home making your A/C work harder.When no one is in a room, make sure lights are turned off and window shades are drawn.
Use your ceiling fans. Circulating air in a room helps keep the room cooler. Ceiling fans are an energy efficient way to make your home feel cooler. It costs significantly less to run fans than turning down the thermostat even one degree. Even when the A/C is on keeping the ceiling fans running will allow you to set your thermostat to a higher temperature and decrease your overall energy draw for cooling your home.

These five easy steps will have a dramatic impact on your energy bill and help your family save money while helping the environment.