1. Limit fan use to only when you are in the room with them. Ceiling, oscillating and standing fans give you the feeling of being cooler without actually changing the temperature of the air.
2. Use compact fluorescents, which burn cooler than regular bulbs. Not only will you save year-round, up to $40 over the life of the bulb, and in the summer you'll reduce the heat generated into a room.
3. Use evaporative coolers and whole-house fans. Both are cost-effective methods of keeping a house cool without spending a lot.
4. If you have central air conditioning, keep your thermostat at 78 degrees. Each degree above 78 can knock off an additional six to seven percent off your cooling costs.
5. Get rid of hot air. Use an exhaust fan to blow hot air out of your kitchen while you’re cooking. The savings on your cooling costs far outweigh the electricity used by the fan. Also, take lukewarm showers and baths to avoid humid air, which holds more heat.
6. Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees. This saves you money and is a safety measure if you have children in the house.
7. Hold off on doing laundry and dishwashing until nighttime to avoid generating extra heat in your home. Also, consider taking advantage of the warmer air and dry your laundry outside.
8. If you have a pool, turn off your filter overnight when the pool is not in use.
9. Use your microwave or smaller, countertop appliances for cooking instead of the oven or stove.
10. Close blinds, drapes and shades during the hottest part of the day. This keeps the strong sunlight from heating your home.
