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Springtime Electrical To-Do List

Seasonal chores and upgrades can make your home more energy efficient

It’s time to throw open the windows and welcome warm weather. It’s also time to invest in a few upgrades that will keep your house more comfortable and help you do your part to use energy wisely.

Check off the following chores before it gets too hot outside:

Inspect and maintain. Have a licensed heating, ventilating and air conditioning technician come to your home to inspect and maintain your air conditioning system. Paying a little bit now could prevent a big expense this summer if your AC breaks down on a hot day and you have to have it repaired or replaced in a hurry.

Clear and trim. While you’re outdoors planting and pruning, trim all of the bushes and pull all of the weeds near your air conditioner’s outside condenser unit. Remove any fallen tree limbs that landed on it and brush off leaves that have collected on or around it. Anything that touches the unit and prevents air from circulating around it will make it perform inefficiently.

Plant and shade. While you’ve got your shovel and spade out, consider planting some shade trees on the sunny side of your house. As they grow, they will filter the sun’s rays that can beat on your windows in the summer and make your air conditioner work harder.

Replace and upgrade. Speaking of windows, if your house has single-pane versions, this is a good time to replace them with double-pane models. Single-pane windows are energy inefficient and can drive up your AC bills. You could save several hundred dollars on cooling and heating costs every year if you replace your drafty old windows.

Clean and shine. Clean your windows, inside and out. Clean windows let more sunlight into your house, which means you won’t have to turn on as many lights.