These tips are designed to help you choose effective ways to reduce your energy bills. Some measures may not be relevant depending on climate, the age of your home and appliances, and past improvements made to your home. Also check out our What To Do Before It Gets TOO HOT! The average home spends hundreds of dollars a year on energy costs. But you can lower your energy bills and help save the environment at the same time! Cutting back unnecessary energy use is an easy way to reduce energy consumption while saving money. Here are some additional suggestions you can do at home, at absolutely no cost to you. Set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you are home and 85 degrees or off when you are away. Using ceiling or room fans allows you to set the thermostat higher because the air movement will cool the room. Always take into account health considerations and be sure to drink plenty of fluids in warm weather. (Save: 1 - 3 percent per degree, for each degree the thermostat is set above 72 degrees)

To help prevent electricity outages, avoid running your appliances during peak hours, -- from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. -- or anytime an electricity emergency is declared. Make a quick trip to your local hardware store to purchase inexpensive energy-saving tools and equipment. Weather-strip, seal, and caulk leaky doors and windows and install foam gaskets behind outlet covers.prices on central ac units Planning to do some remodeling soon? cheap small ac unitTime to replace old appliances? outside ac unit not working onConsider these energy efficiency suggestions when you make purchases. A whole house fan is permanently installed in your attic and draws cool air into your home through the windows while forcing hot air out through your attic vents.

Use after sundown when the outside temperature drops below 80 degrees, and in the early morning to cool your house and help reduce your air conditioning use. Install patio covers, awnings, and solar window screens to shade your home from the sun. For additional future savings, use strategically planted trees, shrubs and vines to shade your home. Solar control window films applied to existing glass in windows and doors is an effective method to reduce peak demand during hot months and conserve energy anytime air conditioning might be required. In addition to the energy management benefits, the use of these films can also reduce exposure to ultraviolet radiation and reduce glare. Vist the International Window Film Association for more information. If your air conditioner is on the way out, buy an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner. (Save: up to 10 percent) Leaking ductwork accounts for 25 percent of cooling costs in an average home, so have your ducts tested and have any leaks or restrictions repaired by a qualified contractor.

Note: duct cleaning is not the same as duct sealing. As of October 1, 2005, if you install a new central air conditioner or furnace, your ducts will have to be inspected. Refrigerators with a top or bottom freezer design can save you an additional 2-3% on your bill compared to a side-by-side design. If existing insulation level is R-19 or less, consider insulating your attic to at least R-30. If your windows are due for replacement, ENERGY STAR® windows can make your house more comfortable year-round. Cheaper, Efficient Cooling with Whole-House Fans Typical Meteorological Year, Sacramento, CA and Aurora, IL Operation of an Attic-Mounted Whole-House Fan Typical Meteorological Year: Sacramento, California Typical Meteorological Year: Aurora, Illinois Space Heating & Cooling Energy Use Benefits of Whole-House Fans vs. PhotovoltaicsThis 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. "There's a myth that to save money, your last name has to be Trump," Chilsen says. "But one of the great secrets of energy efficiency is that there's you can do to save without spending money." 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.