In the winter, open those drapes and curtains on sunny days to take advantage of the sun's heating power. Close all drapes, blinds or shades at night in winter to make use of their insulating properties. Use an exhaust fan to pull excess heat and humidity out of the kitchen and bathroom in the summer. Be aware, however, that exhaust fans can rapidly pull the heat from your house in the winter. Perhaps the most often quoted hint for saving energy in the home is this-set thermostats at 68 F in the winter and 78 F in the summer.
Ceiling fans can save energy in both the summer and winter.
In the summer, fan blades should revolve in a counter-clockwise direction. Since moving air feels cooler, using ceiling fans in the summer allows you to raise the thermostat temperature, thereby reducing the workload of your air conditioner. Air conditioners use considerably more energy than ceiling fans. In winter months, set your ceiling fan at its slowest speed and reverse it in order to gently push warm air down from the ceiling without generating a breeze. To This how-to is provided as a service of Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse .