One of the only downsides of summer is the high energy costs that come with keeping your house cool enough to be comfortable, especially if you live in an area with really hot or humid summers. Here are a few easy ways that you can ease the financial strain of keeping your home cool this summer.

Invest In Trees & Leafy Plants

Your house is warmed up and gets hot inside when the sun hits your roof and your windows. One of the best and most long-term ways to reduce your energy costs is preventing the sun from hitting your roof and windows directly in the first place.

You can protect your roof by planting large trees near your home, so that you can benefit from the shade the trees provide. If you want more immediate relief, you may want to purchase more mature trees instead of saplings to plant around your home. 

You can protect your windows by planting large, leafy plants in front of them; these plants can help reduce the direct sunlight that hits your windows and thus brings heat into your home. You can easily purchase large shrubs and plants from your local gardening center to get this benefit right away.

Add Solar Screens & Window Film To Your Windows

Another way to reduce the heat that gets into and warms up your home is by investing in solar screens; these solar screens are slightly different than traditional window screens. Solar window screens help reduce the amount of heat that gets into your home. The best part about window screens is that they help keep out solar rays even when your windows are open for ventilation purposes.

You can also reduce the heat that gets into your house by applying reflective UV film onto your windows. This will directly reflect away the sunlight that hits your windows. It is most effective when your windows are shut. 

Service Your Air Conditioner

The primary tool that most homeowners rely on to keep their homes cool is their air conditioners. It is a smart idea to have an air conditioner service repair technician, like one from Krewson-Sweeney Oil Inc, come out to your home at least once a year to check up on your unit. They can make sure that everything is working correctly, fix any parts that have become loose, clean your unit and replace the filter. These simple maintenance steps can help your air conditioning work more effectively, which means it will not have to run as long to cool down your house, which will save you money in the long run.

By cutting down on the sunlight that gets into your home, and taking care of your air conditioning unit, you can reduce your short and long-term energy costs. 

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