Is your energy bill insane in the summer? This seems to be an issue for a lot of home owners in Alabama, mostly due to the extreme heat. Below, I have gathered a few tips to help you put some of your hard earned money back in your piggy bank.

1. Maintain your cooling system

Keeping your cooling system maintained, by changing your filters regularly and having your seasonal preventative maintenance, ensures that it is running at maximum efficiency. When taken care of, your system doesn’t have to work harder to cool your home.

2. Insulate and seal your home

You should be sure your walls and attic are properly insulated, and windows and door frames are sealed. This helps keep leaks to a minimum and it’s easier to stay comfortable inside.

3. Keep curtains, blinds and shades closed

Although we love the joyous affects of a beautiful sunny day, keeping the sun out of your home helps tremendously in keeping cool.

4. Keep exterior doors closed

It’s impossible to keep an exterior door closed constantly, but going in and out less often helps keeps the cool air inside from escaping.

5. Limit indoor cooking

We’ve all sweated over a hot oven at some point or another. Cooking causes excess heat inside your home that your cooling system has to work harder to overcome, so limiting indoor cooking reduces this need.

6. Run your AC more economically

By setting your thermostat just a couple degrees higher than you normally would, when you aren’t home or at night when it is cooler, you could be saving energy which means you save more money on your electric bill.

7. Use fans

Using a ceiling fan or other fans help make the room feel cooler by circulating the air.

8. Have a lighter colored roof

You may think that your roof color doesn’t matter, but it does. Darker colors hold more heat and trap it in the rooms that are directly under it.

You probably won't notice a drastic drop in your electric bill, however doing these simple things will certainly help you save a few bucks.