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Treat ceiling fans like lights, install motion detectors and timers for your lights, and look into new energy-saving products like solar barrel roof tiles.

Those are some of the suggestions Florida Power and Light Co. representative Marilyn Arnall outlined during an informal energy symposium at Belle Lago in Estero on Saturday.

With fuel prices rising and the green movement gaining momentum, homeowners are beginning to make note of the kind of tips that used to fall by the wayside, she said.

“A lot of times we just haven’t given thought to how we manage energy at home,” she said. “It’s not meant to be something that inconveniences people, it’s just meant to help people do things smartly, more strategically.”

Arnall also talked about recent changes in the way houses are built and what homebuyers should look for when selecting a house.

Energy-saving air-conditioning units with high SEER ratings don’t always come with a newly constructed home, for instance.

But most builders will install an energy-efficient unit at extra cost and the unit will quickly pay for itself, she said.

Arnall said educating consumers about energy habits is especially important in Florida.

“It’s important because a lot of people have second homes in Florida, or have recently moved here,” she said. “There are habits up North that may not be the best way to do things here.”

Maria Marcial of Toll Brothers Inc., the developer of Belle Lago, explained some of the ways her company has become more energy-friendly.

Injecting insulation into the cells of concrete blocks during construction, installing tankless water heaters and placing programmable thermostats in new homes are among ways the company promotes efficiency, she said.

Contact Pete Bishop at lpbishop@comcast.net

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HOME ENERGY TIPS

• Set thermostats at 78-degrees when a home is occupied, 82-degrees when empty.

• Use ceiling fans. Ceiling fans lower a room’s "feels-like" temperature by 4 degrees.

• Treat ceiling fans like lights. Ceiling fans don’t cool air or affect an air-conditioning unit’s workload, so turn the fan off when leaving a room.

• Unplug battery chargers when not in use. Chargers use energy even when they aren’t recharging batteries and electronic devices.

• Ask an FPL expert to conduct an energy audit that can locate energy trouble spots. Call 1-800-342-5375.

• If an air-conditioning unit is more than 10 years old, FPL offers rebates to owners who buy new energy-efficient units.

• Check FPL’s Web site at FPL.com for details and for more energy saving tips.