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Keep energy costs down while making your property more environmentally friendly.

Wearing a windbreaker can cut the chill on a windy morning, and sitting in the shade can cool you down on a sunny day. These same principles can work for your home as well. The proper layout of ground cover, fencing, and trees can have a huge impact on utility savings. I came across these stats in a Better Homes and Gardens article:

A well-positioned tree can save up to 25 percent of your home’s energy for heating and cooling.

A tree-shaded yard can be up to 6 degrees cooler than a sunny yard. A shaded lawn can be up to 25 degrees cooler than sunny pavement.

Shading your home’s roof can increase your air conditioner’s energy efficiency by more than 10 percent.

A single shade tree equals the cooling power of 15 air conditioners — and it runs for free!

Three house-shading trees can cut your cooling bill by as much as half.

Windbreaks can cut winter heating bills by 10 to 30 percent.

I don’t know where their numbers come from, but it illustrates the point that there are savings to be made and comfort to be had. Consult with a local landscaper about energy efficient landscaping, and they can also help you take it a step further with native planting. That is, utilize plants, trees, and grasses that are native to your region. Native landscaping can be easier to take care of and is more readily available.