Tree Benefits Reduce Your Energy Costs Trees can lower air temperatures by transpiring water and shading surfaces. Recent independent studies confirm that well-shaded neighborhoods can run up to 10°F cooler than their deforested counterparts. The cover from properly placed trees (western and southern exposures) can reduce home air-conditioning costs by as much as 30% and cut up to 25% against winter heating bills. Reduced demand for energy means that power plants generate lower emissions of carbon dioxide, the heat-trapping element which is the dominant building-block of greenhouse gases. Research studies estimate that if only three trees were added to each unshaded home property nationwide, we might realize over $2 billion annually in energy cost savings. This natural cooling ability of trees is highly effective wherever so-called heat islands or concentrations of paved and covered surfaces (such as parking lots, sidewalks and rooftops) exist. In the absence of shade trees, these constructed surfaces freely absorb heat and are responsible for increased ground-level production of ozone.