When living in Nashville, it’s hard not to love this time of year, especially with all the fun-filled events and festivals in town that take place all season long. But with the warmer temperatures can also come a much higher energy bill, unless of course you implement some energy-saving strategies that are sure to save you some money.

Listed below are just a few simple tips that can go a long way in keeping energy usage to a minimum and ensuring maximum savings when it comes time to pay up. So if you’re someone who dreads seeing that NES bill in the mailbox every month, consider taking the following measures to help lower summertime expenses:

1) Keep your house warmer while you’re away or at work.

We often hear the myth that’s it’s more cost-effective to regulate your home’s temperature during all hours of the day because you’ll use more energy trying to cool it back down once arriving home to a warmer-than-usual house or condo. While that may be true if you turn off the air-conditioning entirely, remember that keeping your house as close to the temperature outside as you can will ultimately save you money. So on those mild days when it’s only in the 80s, try setting the thermostat somewhere in the high 70s, and if you need a cool down upon returning home, take down a few degrees.

2) Use ceiling fans whenever/wherever possible.

If you don’t already have a few ceiling fans installed inside your Nashville home, you might be surprised at how cool they can keep a room. On milder summer days and nights, it’s entirely possible to stay cool with just a ceiling fan on rather than the air conditioning. So if your house is lacking in the ceiling fan department, it may be time to take a ride over to the local Home Depot to prep for another DIY project.

3) Avoid cooking using the stove or oven.

While it doesn't get much better than enjoying a delicious home-cooked meal, turning that oven dial up to 425ºF can really heat up the kitchen, if not the whole house. And of course the hotter your house gets inside, the harder the air conditioning has to work. So on those really hot days, trade in your chef’s hat for some take-out from your favorite local restaurant. ‘

4) Keep the blinds/shades closed during the day.

There’s probably no easier, cost-effective way to keep you house a tad cooler than to not let a lot of sunlight in during the day. And if you plan on being gone all day, keep the shades down and the sun out and you’ll be surprised at just how cool you can keep the house just by following this simple rule.

5) Take cooler, shorter showers.

Taking a shower using cooler water temperatures is much more tolerable in the summer, so give the water heater a break and endure, dare we say, a cold shower every once in awhile. And if you plan your exercise routine around when you need to shower for work or to go out, a cold shower will probably feel that much better!