Spring has sprung, Durango, and there’s no better time to give your home an “energy-efficiency audit” than right now. Taking the time to tend to a few details can not only make you and your family more comfortable as the days continue to get longer (and hotter!), they can also save you a ton of coin to take that next great vacation.

Start by servicing your air conditioner – By replacing the air filter, you can lower your air conditioner’s energy consumption by up to 15%. You might also consider checking its evaporator coil, which should be cleaned annually to get its maximum performance.

Take a good look at your window dressings – Blinds, shades, and films not only go a long way in slashing heat when the temperatures rise, they also add immensely to the beauty and value of your home.

Get out the caulk gun – Warm air moves out of your home in the winter and moves in during the summer. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 30% of heating and cooling bills are consumed by air leakage alone. Head to the hardware store where you’ll find plenty of options- including caulking, weather-stripping, and weather-resistant sealings.

Caulking your windows is a great way to save money!

Pay attention to dust – Dust that builds up on your electronics- lamps, stereo systems, computers- keeps them from being as efficient as they could be because they’re working harder than they need to. While you’re at it, get the ladder out and dust off light bulbs and fixtures for better lighting and air quality. Finally, pull out the vacuum cleaner and vacuum beneath the refrigerator where dust builds up on the coils, making it work much harder than it needs to.

Limit you’re A/C usage by redirecting your ceiling fans – Strategic use of your ceiling fans can be a huge boon to your energy savings. In the winter months, your ceiling fans should be rotating clockwise to push warm air downward. During the summer, they should rotate counterclockwise, thereby pulling warm air up and away from you. And it’s as simply as flicking a switch in the center of your fan!

Cook outside – Rather than using inside ovens and stovetops, take advantage of the warm weather and enjoy some time with your family cooking outdoors on the barbeque or grill. Remember to bring the baseball gloves or a Frisbee to entertain the kiddos!

Cooking outside – getting better by the decade, helping energy efficiency since the cave dwelling days!

Use surge protectors- Outfit each room in your home with a surge protector and run all of the electrical devices in that room to the surge protector, making it that much simpler to turn all of those devices off when you leave the room. This tip alone can make an immediate impact on your electric bill.

Head to the nursery – What better time to plant trees and shrubs and do a little landscaping than when the weather is pleasant? Evergreen trees planted on the north and west faces of your home protect you from those merciless winter winds while trees that lose their leaves in the fall can be planted on the south and west faces to provide shade in the summer and insulation in the winter.

Believe it or not, energy efficiency is increased when you add in landscaping!

After taking stock of your home and tending to these details, you might then consider making small changes in your day-to-day tasks to conserve even more energy. For example, washing your clothes in cold water can save you $63 a year, and hanging those washed clothes on the line not only keeps you from using a dryer that will flood your home with heat, but also give your clothes the sort of fresh scent that no dryer sheet can match!

What are some tips and tricks that you use to save money when spring rolls around?