Any time of the year is a good time to save money, especially when it comes to the issue of one’s electricity bill. However, it is very understandable that the summer season is when one’s electricity bills tend to go straight through the roof because of the increasingly hot weather! This summer season, make sure that you end up saving some money on your electricity bill with the following energy savings cost cutting tips.

For starters, make sure that you keep your TVs and also your lamps quite a distance away from your thermostat. You see, both TVs and lamps emit heat, therefore prompting your air conditioning to actually run excessively and more than it really has to! Instead, place your TV and lamps across the room and think hard about switching to compact fluorescent bulbs.

Insulation is yet another thing you should do properly if you want to attend to your energy savings and your summer electricity cost cutting steps. You ought to insulate in an intelligent manner, for one thing. This means that you should look to insulate in some areas more than others, such as the attic. When you insulate your attic, you actually lower the negative effects of the heat that stem from the scorching rays of the sun. If you do this correctly, you are going to stop the heat that tends to build up on top of your home from actually filtering down to the rest of the residence.

Sometimes, your summer electricity cost cutting measures are so simple that they may even seem deceptively…simple! Take for instance the issue of your windows. When days get really, really hot in the summer months, just remember to close either your blinds or your curtains prior to leaving for work in the morning. This will minimize the effect of the sun’s blistering rays from beating down into the various rooms of your residence, thereby warming up your home to unbearable levels. As a sweet bonus, the fading effect of the sun’s rays to your rugs and your furniture will also be minimized.

Finally, you should use your microwave more than the oven for when you are preparing dinner. If you utilize your microwave, you can efficiently get your dinner ready in just a few minutes rather than an hour, and you will also be generating a lot less heat than if you utilize your oven!

So as you can verily see, there are a lot of things that you can do with regard to saving some money on your electricity bills over the summer. All that matters is that you have to be committed to adopting some of these money saving tips over the summer.

Today’s lighting styles could very well take permanent hold for the future – mainly, focusing on sustainable and energy-efficient options that are becoming increasingly important even in vintage-inspired styles. Added to this are fun trends that are taking off in the moment.

Be ahead of the game by knowing 7 major lighting trends to look for in 2015:

1. Making the Switch to LEDs

This will come to no one’s surprise. Even those clinging desperately to their beloved incandescents (if there be such folks) know that LED lighting is here to stay. Remember, these oldies are being phased out as of 2014, meaning the U.S. will no longer import or manufacture these bulbs. Significantly, LED lighting is both practical and affordable as compared to other alternatives.

The demand for LED lighting, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom has grown exponentially according to residential architects. Costs for customers are also going steadily downward as their use becomes more ubiquitous. LED cabinet lighting is in especially strong demand, along with LED cove lighting.

Outdoor LED lighting is also on an upswing. Many consumers are enhancing their patios, pathways, porches, and gardens with additional lighting.

2. Clustering Glass Pendants

Pendant lighting is a hot item at the moment. Artisan glass pendants and bowls are important silhouettes that stand out for the next year.

Glass pendants are extremely versatile and transcend several décor styles. Glass pendant lights can be used to offer a direct source of light to a particular task area or can be a decorative accessory use to bring mood and color into a room. Clustering single-light pendants or hanging multi-light fixtures in gathering spaces like the living room or dining room, is another growing trend, with many consumers attracted to the sleek and timeless figures of these types of lights.

3. Chandeliers In New Places

Chandeliers are another item that used to be relegated to the dining room, weddings or a dramatic ball room. They were often seen as a glamorous object suited for only equally opulent surroundings. Now, these beauties are turning up in unexpected places; from kitchens and baths to laundry rooms.

Also, chandeliers aren’t just for the super-wealthy anymore. There are plenty of stunning, affordable options on the market today that will not sacrifice style.

Mini chandeliers fit into this category. With their small scale, they are just right for limited-size spaces such as bathrooms, attic bedrooms and small suites.

And, if you can easily afford it, the demand for traditional crystal chandeliers is coming into play once again. Many manufacturers are also willing to customize chandelier details which sees customers now willing spend extra for personalization.

4. Lighting Inside Drawers and Cabinets

Using a flashlight or turning on an overhead light to peer into a dimly-lit space is a thing of the past. There are simple and elegant solutions to this problem: they’re adding lighting inside those formerly-dark spaces.

You can use LED strip lights, motion detecting lights that use AAA batteries, or unlike  battery operated units, you can also use a strip system that turns on and off and is controlled by the contact between two magnetic switches. This model would need to be plugged into a power supply.

5. LED Lighting In the Shower

Rainshower heads with changing LED lights are a fun fashion in bathroom lighting that will be sure to take off in the next year. These heads are constructed of stainless steel and possess temperature sensitive LED lights, that will treat you to a dazzling display of color when you wash.