With the hot days of summer still in full swing in Omaha, many people retreat to the nearest pool to relax and cool off a bit. And while this luxury isn’t a reality for all, those who can’t get to the pool rely on staying indoors and cranking up the AC in hopes to find some relief and comfort from the heat. The only issue with turning up your AC are the massive energy bills that come your way each month during the summertime. And in case you didn’t know, about twelve percent of your home energy costs is attributed to your air conditioning (according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration). And while these costs can be significant, you don’t have to give up your AC just yet in order to save money! Below we have a few tips and tricks on how you can save on home energy costs this summer.

The first way you can save on home energy costs is to lessen the amount of direct sunlight that comes into your home. The more direct sunlight that comes into your house, the hotter your home will be. This means that your AC is forced to stay on and work to keep your home cooled, thus increasing your energy bills. The easiest way to keep direct sunlight out of your home is to cover the windows in your home by using things such as curtains, drapes and/or Venetian blinds. And if you want to go a mile further, you can plan trees and shrubs outside your home to block the sunlight from getting into your home through windows.

Another trick is to keep your ceiling fans on to circulate the air in the rooms. This simple hack has the potential to lower your summer air conditioning costs by 15-25 percent! And on days that are a little cooler, you may be able to turn your AC off completely, giving both your unit and wallet a break. Lastly, you want to make sure to keep your air filters clean as to not restrict the airflow to your air conditioning unit. Cleaning or replacing your air filters regularly (about every 90 days is the general rule of thumb) will allow your unit to work less and help to keep your energy costs low. And that is what we call a win-win!