The average homeowner spends about $375 on air conditioning. Here's how to slash your summer energy bills without sacrificing too much comfort.1. Don't just set it and forget it. If you have central air controlled by a thermostat, use a programmable thermostat to save energy by turning the desired temperature up during the day when the house is empty. You can give up a couple degrees at night, too — especially on the hottest days. You may be surprised to find that the contrast between outdoor and indoor temperatures matters as much as the absolute temperature inside your home. When home, aim to set the temperature at 78 degrees to balance comfort with energy and cost savings. Together with winter energy savings, a programmable thermostat used properly can save the average home up to $150 a year.2. Clean the air filter. Whether you have central air or a window unit, a dirty filter will reduce your AC's efficiency, making it use more energy. Check your HVAC system's air filter monthly and expect to change the filter every three months.3.

Get an annual checkup. If you have central air, bring in a pro to check it out — once per year should cover both the heating and the cooling season. A professional should be able to diagnose any inefficiencies before you've wasted money on monthly heating and cooling bills.4. Cooling one room with a window air conditioning unit requires much less energy (and investment) than a whole central air system for your house. Ask yourself how you'll use your new air conditioner, and choose the smallest option that works. Use our calculator to help choose the right air conditioner for your space.5. Whether you're buying a central air conditioner (which could qualify for a tax credit) or a room unit, efficiency matters. An Energy Star central air system will use about 14% less energy than minimum government standards, and a room air conditioner will save at least 10%.NEXT: 8 Ways to Keep Cool Without Air Conditioning »Photo: SuperStock/Getty 25 Products That Come With a Lifetime Guarantee

You're Wasting a Ton of Money on Premium Gas, According to AAA [UPDATED]: Kmart Is Closing 64 More Stores — and Putting Everything on Sale Wells Fargo Owes Its Customers Millions of Dollars After a Massive Scandal Make Sure You Check Your Receipt After You Pay With Your Credit Card Chip Costco Is Selling Seriously Cheap Annual Disney Park Passes The 9 Most Expensive Barbies of All Time People Keep Mistaking Doll Chairs for Human Ones on Amazon, and the Reviews Are Hilarious 5 Major Deals You're Going to Want to Hit This Weekend Sneaky Apple Email Scam Steals Bank InfoThis past Memorial Day - a scorcher in Chicago - Jim Chilsen and his family returned home to find the second floor of their bungalow, where the bedrooms are located, was suffocatingly hot. So hot, Chilsen recalls, that his son and daughter wouldn’t have been able to sleep. But then Dad came to the rescue: Within an hour, and without central air-conditioning or even a room air conditioner, Chilsen cooled the upstairs so well that his daughter asked for a blanket.

Chilsen, director of communications for Citizens Utility Board, a nonprofit utility watchdog in Illinois, sees a of hot cooling tips cross his desk. The most effective ones, he says, cost little or no to employ.how does ac units work "There's a myth that to save money, your last name has to be Trump," Chilsen says. problems with ac unit"But one of the great secrets of energy efficiency is that there's you can do to save without spending money."how much for an ac unit Chilsen's low-cost, effective way to cool his oven-like second floor? Two $15 box fans. Here's how he did it: This secret, he says, was well-known in the days before central air but fell out of favor. Indeed, fans are a budget's friend in the hot months.The fan on a central air-conditioning unit.

Conditioning the air in a home -- cooling in summer or heating in winter -- can account for as much as 70% of a home's energy costs, says Lou Manfredini, home expert for the Ace Hardware chain. The condenser, though, eats the energy, not the fan. The fan efficiently and quickly distributes cooled air. Manfredini suggests setting a comfortable temperature of, say 74 degrees Fahrenheit, then setting the fan on "on" instead of "auto." A continuously running fan distribute cooled air throughout the house, thus signaling to the thermostat that the house is cool. The condenser will cycle on less often, thus money. Used properly, ceiling fans have a cooling effect, too. The trick is to set the fan on reverse, so it looks like it's moving counterclockwise as you are standing under it. Ceiling fans move cool air around, which helps make air conditioning more efficient and creates a cool, breezy feeling, Manfredini says. The exhaust fan in the kitchen can also help cool a house. Use it when you cook on the cooktop, and at night, run it for a while to pull hot air from the home.

Here are other inexpensive, effective cooling tips: - Easy Does It: Set the thermostat a few degrees higher, say at 75F instead of 72F. For each degree upward, you save 2% to 3% on energy costs, Manfredini says. And, he adds, don't set the thermostat at 65F in hopes of cooling the house more quickly; the unit cools air at the same rate no matter what the setting. A lower setting just makes it run longer and thus use more energy. - Stay Shady: It's tempting, especially after a long winter, to up the blinds and let the sun shine in. Sunlight turns a room into a greenhouse, as windows and insulation trap heat inside. A dark room will stay cooler longer. - Turn Off Lights: About 90% of the energy used by incandescent lights creates heat, not light, Manfredini says. Turn off lights when they're not in use. Better yet, replace incandescent lights with compact fluorescent bulbs, which use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs. - Cook Out: Nobody wants an oven-baked casserole in summer.