After a chilly winter we are finally seeing signs of spring! People are swapping their dreary winter gear for their spring wardrobes, and spring buds are trying to poke through. Now that warmer weather is trying to make its presence more permanent, there’s plenty you can do to reduce your energy bills. And turning off the heat is a great start! But with the new season, you have plenty of other opportunities to re-evaluate your usage of energy at home, including the below:

Clean your fridge thoroughly
Your fridge is one of the major consumers of energy in your home. On average, it consumes approximately 14% of your home’s energy. By cleaning it properly, you’ll be able to bring down its consumption of energy. A vacuum hose or duster is handy when it comes to clearing dust and dirt from the coils. Get rid of old and unneeded food from the fridge to increase air circulation. Also, avoid leaving your refrigerator completely empty. Doing that causes much more air to leak out when you open the door.

Embrace Natural Ventilation
During spring, feel free to create a cross breeze which flows through your house to provide a fresh, cooling effect. Plus, after having the windows sealed all winter long it will be great to let some fresh air into your home!

Only buy ENERGY STAR appliances
Are you planning to buy new applications this spring? If yes, then they must be ENERRGY STAR qualified. By investing in ENERGY STAR dishwashers, refrigerators, cooling and heating systems, you’ll bring down your energy use by close to 50%. These appliances not only assist you to save on your energy bills, they also reduce water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. By choosing ENERGY STARtar appliances, you’ll not only save money, you’ll also help to protect the environment.

Tune-up your AC
When temperatures rise, air conditioners work overtime. By giving your AC a tune-up before the summer you’ll be sure it will work safely, economically and efficiently throughout the upcoming season. During servicing, you need to replace the filters, clean the evaporator coils and check the refrigerant levels. Additionally, schedule a maintenance and inspection visit from a reputable HVAC technician. They will ensure the AC runs optimally. The technician also catches problems before they turn out to be expensive during the high season. Plus, regular maintenance of your AC can reduce its energy consumption by 15%.

Hire a Home Energy Auditor
Professional home energy auditors are great at assessing your home’s energy use. Energy auditors conduct room-by-room evaluations of your entire residence. By doing that, the expert will let you know of the areas that need upgrade in order to cut down on energy use.

To help you kick off your environmentally friendly home makeover, the above are some of the reminders you need to undertake.