There are things you can do outside to affect how much electricity you use inside.

Trees

Get Shady

• Planting shade trees not only improves the value of your house — those shady green leaves help you lower your electric bills. In addition to helping your air conditioner run less and use less energy, trees pull carbon dioxide (CO₂) out of the air, further reducing greenhouse gases.
• Shading the south and west sides of your house is a particularly useful strategy here in Texas, where long, hot summers are the norm.
• Be sure to work with your plant nursery to choose deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves in the winter) so you'll get solar gain in cold weather and cooling shade in warmer months.
• Select long-lived hardwoods with strong, durable branches.

Keep ‘em Trimmed

Once your trees are established, make sure you keep them pruned. You'll be glad you followed this advice the next time a big windstorm comes through!

Outdoor Lighting

Outside lighting such as porch and patio lights are often the lighting fixtures that get the most use.

Get Smarter Bulbs

Outside is a great place to install compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, which use far less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Be Sensitive

• You can purchase a plug-in light sensor to turn safety or guard lights on when it gets dark and off again when it gets light to save electricity.
• For further savings, purchase motion sensors that turn the lights on only when they are needed.