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. Clean warm-air registers and other vents regularly. Make sure they're not blocked by drapes or furniture. To avoid wasting energy altogether, close vents in rooms you don't use often.