Ideal Bite

Do you have a central air conditioner? If so, there are even more options for you to save money. Call your electric company and see if they have any "load management or curtailment" programs. My electric company has a program called Energy Partners where you can get a credit on your bill for agreeing to turn your central air off for up to 4 hours on the hottest days. I get a cool $50 back each summer!

I don't own an air conditioner. I have found a great way to keep cool without it. I wet a few washclothes and then put them in the freezer. I take them out when it is especially hot and humid. I put them on the back of my neck and let them melt. Once one is melted. I put it back in the freezer. If I am still warm I take another one out and do the same. I also stick my feet in a foot bath with cool water in it.

Using a lot of AC will also dry out the air and your skin. A lot of unexplained dermatitis, itch and skin dryness can be caused by AC drying out the air. Turn it down and it will not be as harsh.

In summer we turn thermostats UP, not down... you had it right at the beginning, but reversed directions at the end.

I very rarely turn on my AC. Even in 90+ weather I find that ceiling fans usually take care of the heat. And this is in hot humid KY.

People who live in SF & MT can't understand real 110 degrees+ heat. In Oklahoma, people die from it every summer. The best we can do is wait as long as possible into June to turn the AC on and then set the temp as high as we can stand. Oh, I know all about our ancestors who survived without AC, but houses were built differently then and some people still died from the heat. I grew up without AC, but we had huge double-hung windows, deep porches, crawl spaces, and lots of shade trees. Sometimes it's not so easy...

Another helpful tip: draw the blinds/curtains closed in the daytime, to avoid passive solar heating... And open your windows at night when the outdoor temperature cools down.

NO, NO, NO. You turn down the heat & turn up the AC to save electricity.

We have found a few things that seem to help...our air conditioner is set to "auto" for 78 degrees and it hasn't turned on once yet this season - in fact, the house hasn't warmed up beyond 74 degrees yet and we've had a few 80+ degree days. We do live in Michigan, but over 30 million people live in the Midwest, so I'm sure this will work for plenty of the readers here: 1. Keep your house cold during the winter - no warmer than 64 is ideal (above 55, though to keep pipes from freezing). I know it sounds funny, but the cooler your house stays during the cold season, the longer it takes to warm back up in the warm season. The only time our house warmed up past about 64 between November and April was on very sunny days and when we burned wood in the fireplace. Dress in layers to help keep warm. 2. Install double or triple pane low-E argon gas windows that help keep warm and cool air in. We spent over $5000 on high-quality energy efficient windows and we're so glad we did - it's helped stabilize the indoor temps so much. 3. Make sure insulation is the best you can afford and check for drafts. 4. Rather than buying the largest house you can afford, buy the smallest one that has all you need. One-story houses, even with a basement, are easier to heat and cool than two story houses with or without basements. (our house is 1200 sq. ft. plus a 1100-sq. ft. basement) 5. Plant fast-growing shade (deciduous) trees on the southeast and southwest sides of the house for shade, and plant shrubs, bushes, and flowers near the house. More plants near the foundation help shade the house. 6. Keep windows open and the AC off when the temperature outside is cooler than what you want the house to be. Just watch the humidity. 7. Ceiling fans are your friend and use electricity than the AC. Dehumidifiers are also better than the AC, but fans are more energy-efficient. 8. Stay hydrated!

Depending on where you live, opening the window and drinking lots of (tap) water may be enough to cool down and way cheaper than A/C!