KEEP COOL

Generating less heat will not only keep your home cooler—it'll also keep your energy bills down all summer long. Here are a few tricks for doing just that.

Don't use the oven or the stove

Salads are a popular summer food because they're light and less food means you'll generate less heat. But another reason to stick with a salad rather than cooked food is the amount of heat you can produce in the kitchen. Tone down the cooking indoors and grill outdoors when you feel the need to cook for a cooler home.

Air dry your clothing

A clothes drier is designed for the purpose of generating heat, so you can avoid bringing more heat into your home by drying your clothes on a line (or anything you can hang them on, for that matter). Not only will you avoid the heat from the drier, but if you hang them evenly you'll avoid wrinkles as well. The benefit is twofold: you won't have the annoyance or the additional heat that comes with ironing.

Avoid the heat cycle on your dishwasher

For most the dishwasher has a start and stop button and that's the extent of its functionality. Included in its general routine is a dry cycle that uses heat to dry the dishes faster. If you have time to dry them by hand or let the air do it for you, turning off the heat cycle on your dishwasher is a good way to reduce heat.

Sleep, shutdown or unplug

If your electronics are constantly running they'll produce quite a bit of heat, as you're most likely aware. If you can sleep them, great, but shutting down and unplugging the devices ensures that they're not sipping any power. While it might be minimal savings in temperature and on your electric bill, a little is better than nothing.

Turn off the lights

It's summer, so chances are you'll have an abundance of natural light on most days. With the sun beaming in, use its light rather than your own.