Cool down in August heat with honeycomb cellular shades

The final month of summer is here and, if it was anything like July, it's sure to be humid and hot across the country. That means that it's necessary to take a few steps to mediate the heat levels in a household without using air conditioning, which can be expensive.

The Kansas City Star lists a few practical ways to reduce the humidity and save money on energy bills in a home. One way homeowners can do this is to use power strips for appliances, which makes it easy to turn TVs, computers, and lights on and off at once, so they don't waste electricity when they aren't in use.

Filters are also an important consideration if air conditioning is used. Also, one should place an air conditioner in the shade, as the news source claims that units in the heat use 10 percent more electricity.

Lamps, televisions and other heat-producing devices should be placed near a thermostat, so it can more accurately read the temperature of a room. This way, an air conditioner can respond appropriately.

Lastly, the news provider states that it's important to keep windows insulated with window treatments like honeycomb shades, as this can make a home much more energy-efficient. Half of a household's heating and cooling costs can be lost because these spaces aren't properly insulated.