Changes outside can help too. Planting trees or shrubs to shade your air conditioning unit can cut its energy usage by as much as 10 percent. When the sun sets, most people turn on lights in their homes. But some San Diegans are taking a more creative approach to dealing with the dark in an effort to save energy. More Details Ceiling Fans Heating and cooling uses about 44 percent of a home's energy.
Ceiling fans can make that process more efficient, in both summer and winter.
In the summer, make sure your ceiling fan blades are pushing air down. The air movement can cool a room by four degrees or more. Most fans have a switch to change the direction of the blade. They can actually heat up a room in the winter, because when the blades pull air up, warm air near the ceiling is driven down into the room. Vents Paying attention to the vents for your air conditioning or heating units can make them run a lot more efficiently.