Making Summertime a Little Easier on You and Your Pocketbook

The United States is blessed with a wide range of climate types, from the cool and moist Northeast to the hot and arid Southwest. While there are a few places like Southern California that rarely experience great temperature extremes, most of us are going to endure a hot summer of some length. Summer is a double-edged sword when it comes to utility bills; you save money because you're not paying to heat your house. However, temperatures often climb so high that you need to cool your living space. These appliances can cost you quite a bit, but with a little effort and preparation, you can keep yourself comfortable while keeping your home cooling Texas energy bills as low as possible.

First of all, know your primary enemy! Air conditioning is the biggest electricity drain in your home. The Energy Information Administration reports that approximately 15% of all of the electricity used in the United States is devoted to air conditioning. So approximately 15% of your Texas electricity bill is dedicated to your air conditioning usage. That's a stunning figure, considering all of the different ways we use the juice. In fact, the number of households equipped with A/C continues to rise. In 1980, 27% of American homes had central air conditioning; by 2001, that number rose to 55%. Therefore, you will want to...

• Use air conditioning sparingly. Just as you might keep your thermostat at 64 degrees in the winter instead of 68, exercise the will power to refrain from turning on central air or window-mounted units until absolutely necessary.
• Install an advance digital control for your home heating and cooling system. In the past, you might simply turn a dial to control your furnace or A/C. Today, you can make use of a control system that allows you to keep these appliances off when you aren't at home, in addition to many other automatic options.
• Make sure you're not accidentally tricking your thermostat. If you have a lamp beside your thermostat, the heat from the bulb will make your thermostat think the room is a couple degrees warmer than it really is. Even though it's a small difference, it adds up over time.

A cheaper alternative to air conditioning is the simple and noble fan. One of the big advantages of including fans in your home cooling plan is the sheer variety of fans on the market. Instead of cooling an entire house, you might just be comfortable enough if you sleep with a small table fan in your bedroom.

• Consider installing a"whole house" fan. According to MSN Money, these fans are placed in the attic of your home and pull the air from your living space. Even better, this simple fan can cool your home about one third as much as air conditioning, but at much lower cost. Bear in mind that the fan can cost between $200 and $400 if you install it yourself. This up-front expenditure is paid for in long-term energy savings.
• Place reversible window fans in rooms you use quite a bit. In the morning, set the fan to pull in the cool air. In the afternoon, when the heat starts to hit, flick the switch to exhaust.

• Remember: dark colors absorb heat from sunlight, while lighter colors tend to reflect those rays, sending the heat elsewhere. Putting white curtains and blinds on your windows will help you keep your room a little cooler.
• Place furniture in such a way that it won't interfere with your heating and cooling vents. For example, if you place your sofa in a place that will block the flow of cool, conditioned air, the room will stay warm and your central air system will work that much harder.
• Close the curtains and drapes on your windows during the day. According to the Department of Energy, this will prevent"solar gain," or a temperature increase due to the greenhouse effect caused by sunlight being caught inside your room.

No matter how carefully you prepare for the heat, you're never going to make every summer day comfortable. During those excruciating days when even central air isn't enough, you might just be best off making yourself an ice-cold glass of lemonade and reading a good book in the shade.