With the right landscaping design you could save a significant amount of money on your energy bills. According to the Department of Energy, proper landscaping is the best way for homeowners to decrease their carbon footprint and save money, especially in the summer months when we blast our air conditioners. In fact, without a properly placed tree or shrub, we are essentially throwing out money each time we pay our utility bills. Just like we protect our homes against thieves, we should also protect our homes against the sun during the summer months. Here are some ways to reduce your A/C costs with the right landscaping design.
Plant deciduous trees on the south and east sides of your home. During the summer months is when the heat will be pouring through our windows and heating up our homes. With properly placed and planted deciduous trees, the leaves can block out up to 60% of sunlight during the summer months and when the tree loses its leaves during the winter, it can bring the sunlight back to warm the house. You could even plant evergreen trees on the north and west side of the house to protect against the heat from the setting sun.
