There’s not much you can do about the rising cost of milk, coffee beans or the gasoline that keeps your car running. The factors that determine how much they sell for are out of your hands, but there is something you can take control of this summer — how much you spend to keep your home cool.

SUMMER COOL––Awnings, which are mounted on the outside of the house, are much more effective than blinds and curtains for keeping the heat outElectric companies have already started sending out letters warning customers that because of rising fuel prices and the National Weather Service’s prediction that we’re in for a warm summer, their bills for the summer of 2005 will be higher than they were last year.

Since 44 percent of power consumption in the summer months goes towards cooling, the U.S. Department of Energy is urging people to look for ways to conserve.

A good place to start is by keeping out as much heat as possible. This means not only making sure your house is well insulated, but protecting windows and doors from the sun during the hottest periods of the day. In a typical home, more energy is transferred through glass doors and windows than through any other construction element. In fact, on a hot day, more energy comes through one square foot of glass than through an entire insulated wall.

“A lot of people think blinds, curtains or shades are all they need to protect their homes, but they’re wrong,” says Andy Stone, president of the Craft-Bilt Manufacturing Company. “They may keep sunlight from entering the room, but they won’t keep the heat out. Awnings, which are mounted on the outside of the house, are much more effective because they prevent the glass from heating up.” Crista McCall of Lansdale said, “My deck has a southeastern exposure and before we put up the awning, the sun used to beat down on the back of our house every morning.

In the summertime, our air conditioner would run all day.

Now I simply flip a switch in the morning to roll down my awning and the house stays comfortable all day with just fans on.” Thanks to the extra shade the awning provides, McCall and her three-yearold son can even play outside in his kiddie pool during the day without having to worry about overexposure to sunlight.

Craft-Bilt Aristocrat retractable awnings are available for both door and window use. There are dozens of designs and hundreds of fabrics to choose from. Each awning is custom built so it will fit the opening exactly.

For best results, professional installation is recommended. For more information about how to find an awning installer in your area, visit www.aristocrat awnings .com.

As a complement to the awnings, you can also plant shade trees on the south and west side of your home to keep both sun exposure and cooling bills down. Here are some other money saving tips from the U.S. Department of Energy:

• Close off unused rooms and close the cooling ducts to them to focus the cool on the rooms you are using.

• Check filters to be sure they are clean. Dirty filters limit air flow and force equipment to work harder and use more energy.

• Use a programmable thermostat so you can keep the house warmer when you aren’t home during the day, and cooler at night when you are. In general, keep the thermostat set as high as you can tolerate.

Courtesy of ARA Content