With warmer temperatures rapidly approaching, it’s a good time to adjust your energy usage to suit the season. Since we already tend to lighten up our mood and our clothing in summer, why not apply the same principles to your energy consumption? You’ll feel good knowing you’ve done your part to go green, and you’ll derive a direct economic benefit from doing do. Here are some simple and painless steps you can take toward reducing your energy usage in summer.

1. Maintain your air conditioning system properly. Because your air conditioning system is the greediest summertime energy user in your home, it’s important to ensure that your system runs as efficiently as possible. Have your unit inspected each spring to check that all parts are in working order and that coolant levels are adequate. Make changing your filters and keeping all ducts dust-free part of your annual spring cleaning routine, and continue to regularly check filters and ducts throughout the season.

2. If your air conditioning unit is located in direct sunlight, plant shade trees or bushes to shelter it from the sun’s rays. Even a strategically placed awning will serve to keep the unit cooler, which will help it to run more efficiently. The cost of providing your unit with shade will be easily repaid in the form of lower energy bills.

3. Think about how your home décor and accessories can help you to keep your energy usage in check. On the hottest days, keep curtains, blinds or draperies closed on all south-facing windows so that ambient room temperatures don’t rise unnecessarily, causing your cooling system to kick into high gear; this simple trick will help to keep rooms comfortable while keeping energy consumption down. Pack away your winter bed linens and opt for lighter sheets and breathable summery blankets, so that you can sleep comfortably with less cooling. Always keep windows and exterior doors tightly shut when your air conditioner unit is running.

4. Let your ceiling fan do some of the heavy lifting for you. Keeping it set to a low or medium speed in occupied rooms should provide for enough air circulation to allow you to correspondingly ease off on your air conditioning. Experiment with your ceiling fan and cooling system’s settings until you’ve found the right combination that provides comfort without needing to excessively lower the thermostat.

5. Don’t preheat your oven unnecessarily, or for an unnecessarily long time, because this will cause the ambient temperature in your kitchen to rise. Broilers don’t need to be preheated at all, and most modern ovens reach their chosen temperature quickly. In fact, it’s best to wait until after sunset, when the temperature begins to naturally cool, before turning your oven on at all. Why not have a barbecue and skip using the oven altogether?

6. Let your wet clothes enjoy summer, too. Instead of using your dryer, hang your clothes outside to dry in the sun. You’ll not only reduce your energy usage, but will have the added bonus of a fresh-smelling wardrobe as well.

7. Take advantage of long summer days by filling your rooms with natural light for as long as you can. Switch out your old incandescent light bulbs for bulbs of a more energy-saving variety, and don’t turn on the lights until you really need them. Spend as much time as you can outdoors and enjoy all that the season has to offer.

While these steps may take minimum effort to implement, they can result in maximum reduction of your energy usage. If you get in the habit of thinking more consciously about how much energy you use, you’ll be certain to realize that there are many simple things you can do to decrease your energy footprint and benefit from going green.