Heating and cooling continue to be a large household expense, yet the world does not appear ready to stop spinning to keep the temperature just right for humanity. For those trying to control seasonal costs in their homes, local trees and plants may be a partial answer. Some trees can be used to interrupt the flow of winter winds, and plants may be useful in cutting down the amount of sunlight hitting the house during the hottest days of the year.
Winter often brings colder temperatures, and the wind may seem to drain the warmth from any home. Evergreen trees may be beautiful to look at against a snowy landscape, but they can be useful when it comes to controlling costs. They can be planted in a row to help break the wind. This alone may slow down the cooling of the house. As the trees grow taller over the years, their effectiveness should increase. Blocking the wind will not keep the cold completely out, but it should cut the heat loss for houses with less than perfect insulation.
Local plants have become popular in many areas, and some of them can serve to help keep houses cooler during the warm parts of the year. Any plant that can shade the foundation and lower portion of a house can help keep the bottom floor and even the basement from heating up. This may help alleviate the high cost of cooling a home. It may not necessarily work on the upper floors, yet any savings produced may help pay those expensive energy bills of the future.