This blog post is sponsored by ADT.

The temperature’s soaring and so are your utility bills. Looks like summer is making you break into a sweat in more ways than one! But don’t lose your cool because here are some ways to you can keep your home cool without breaking the bank. And bonus! You’d be playing your part in saving the environment too!

Figure out the problem areas. Get an energy assessment of your home. The assessment will tell you how efficient your cooling system is. Do you have air leaks? An under-insulated attic? These are the spaces in your home that are wasting energy. And an assessment can tell you that too. Your utility company might offer free or low-cost assessments. But for all you DIYers, there’s an online tool here.

Efficiency is the name of the game. Look out for the Energy Guide on your refrigerator and AC. This should give you an idea about their energy consumption and the lower the better. Also, appliances marked with an Energy Star label meet certain criteria for efficiency set by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Seal and insulate. Seal air leaks around windows, doors and parts of the walls from where pipes and wires come through. Check ducts for holes and gaps where sections have separated and air may be leaking. You can seal some of them yourself!

Keep everything ship-shape.  Bump up your thermostat before going out, there’s no reason to have full cooling when you’re not there to enjoy it! Make sure that the filter of your AC is clean by checking it regularly.

Look for offers! Ask your local utility about cash rebates, low-interest loans, tax breaks, or other incentives for buying energy efficient products, and how you can qualify.

Long term plans. Installing new, energy-efficient windows might be expensive initially, but works very well in the long run. They will reduce the air-leaks in your home and protect you and your furniture from harmful UV rays. And, even better, the value of your property will increase too!

So, make your home green and save money and the environment this summer!

For more safety and security tips, visit ADT's Home Security Source website. Check out ADT on Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube for more information.