Before it gets too warm, it's time to make sure you're ready for hot weather. This doesn't mean running out and buying the latest swim wear. It means checking your home's heat and air-conditioning system.

• -First, change your filters in your heating/cooling system. Change them regularly - at least monthly.
• -Next change your thermostat over to "cool" and test the system by turning the temperature down. If the air conditioner does not turn on, first check to make sure no breakers are tripped. If you can't figure out the problem, call your heating and air conditoning repair person. Calling early may keep you from making an "emergency" call when the temperatures are soaring and the repair people are too busy.
• If your cooling system turns on, make sure it is putting out adequate cooling. If it's not, and you can't figure out the problem, call your heating and air conditoning repair person. Make sure you set it at 78 degrees.
• If your air conditioner needs replacement do it BEFORE the HOT WEATHER HITS because heating & air conditioning repair people will be very busy. And more than likely, some other things around your home need attention as well. Your air ducts may need testing for leaks and then sealed. Your attic insulation probably has compacted, so you need to add an additional 5 to 8 inches. Your windows and doors and other parts of the building envelope may need caulking and weather stripping. You need solar window film to keep out the heat.

"Green Tips" are simple steps you can take today to green your clothing, your home, your transportation and more! We encourage you to choose one step to get started and return for additional tips over time. If you're up for a green makeover choose a specific category from the list of Monthly Green Tips and get started!

• Use natural insect repellents instead of chemical pesticides. Boric acid has proven to be an effective organic pesticide (use caution around kids and pets, however), while planting garlic chives around your garden will help keep aphids away.
• Create rich soil by composting your organic waste, which reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.
• Consider allowing a portion of your yard to return to its native state. When landscaping, try to integrate native wild flowers, shrubs, and grasses into your yard. They’ll require less watering and attract birds and insects.
• Consider mowing your yard with an old-fashioned push mower, instead of a gas mower. Today’s reel mowers are lightweight, easy to handle, and produce no pollutants or greenhouse gas emissions.
• Go organic in your garden. Demand is high for organic foods. Save money by growing your own!

Source-  http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpages/greentips/june.cfm?notext=t

Little things like switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and turning the heating down in our homes sounds so easy, but how many of us do make those small changes, and others like them, that together can make a much bigger difference to avoid climate change and protect the environment?

If you haven't turned on to energy efficiency yet, it's about time you did.

Here are some easy things that you can do, right now, to make a difference, many of which will save you money as well. What more incentive do you need?

1) Turn down the heating
Electricity consumption differs dramatically in households around the world, but energy efficiency is universal. Figures from Greenpeace state that the average household in Europe consumes 4,667 kWh, in Japan 5,945 kWh per year, whereas the typical American household consumes 11,209 kWh.

According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, by turning your home's heating down by 2 degrees in the winter and up by 2 degrees in the summer you can save around 900 kilos of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

Fact: For each degree that you raise the thermostat on an air-conditioning unit, energy consumption is reduced by 3 percent. Changing from 20 degrees to 25 degrees reduces energy consumption by 15 percent and over a year on average saves 1,000 kilos of CO₂.

I'm Professor Questor, inviting you to join me on an "Energy Quest." How many ways can you think of to save energy around your house?

California's electricity problems taught us all to think about the energy we use everyday. There's never enough energy to waste!

Many Californians learned to use their energy more efficiently. We also learned how to conserve energy - how to make thoughtful choices about ways we can use less. We learned how important it is to not waste energy, so there is enough for everyone.

Californians "Flexed Their Power" by using energy at different times of the day, by turning lights and machines off when not being used.

If you want to find out why California had its "Energy Crisis," the U.S. Department of Energy has a good background page at: