The average homeowner spends about $375 on air conditioning. Here's how to slash your energy bills up to 50% or more.

With much of the U.S. experiencing a summer heat wave, everyone's thinking about cooling off. While the modern office, and 84% of U.S. homes use air conditioners, we can all save money by using them less; after all, the typical U.S. home spends 17% of its annual energy bill on cooling – about $375.

During heat waves like these, too, saving energy pays in other ways. Electrical grids are being pushed to their limits, meaning everyone has to do their part to avoid blackouts. And air pollution from power plants, particularly, cooks in the summer sun to create smog and ozone pollution. (See 5 facts and myths about ozone pollution.)

These tips will help you reduce the amount of energy you pay for to run your air conditioner. How? You'll use it less, and be able to set it at a higher temperature and still remain cool and comfortable. We start with the easiest, cheapest tips you can do right now to cool off – and then recommend some home improvements that can help keep your home cooler in the years to come.

1. Close your windows
It may seem counterintuitive, but opening the windows will often make your home warmer, not cooler. Open your windows at night if the air outside is cooler than inside, and close them – along with blinds and shades – before the sun hits your house in the morning. This will allow cool night air to circulate, and prevent a good deal of the sun's heat from infiltrating your living space, You may also put houseplants – particularly larger potted trees – in front of sunny windows to absorb some of the sun's energy. Use this method, and on all but the summer's hottest days, you can get away without using the air conditioning at all!

2. Use fans strategically
Ceiling fans and those set right in front of you are there to keep you cool, not cool the room. But a fan in your face can help you feel dramatically cooler, even if the room temperature hardly budges. You should be able to set your air conditioner higher, at about 78 degrees, but feel much cooler by using a fan. Enhance its effect by wetting your skin with a spray bottle, and get a near-instant cooling effect by wetting your wrists and letting the fan blow air across them. Fans can help cool your home, particularly when used to blow cooler air indoors, usually at night. You can maximize the effect by creating a wind tunnel of sorts, with a fan blowing cool air in on one end of the house, and another blowing out on the opposite side of the house.

3. Adjust the thermostat
If you have central air controlled by a thermostat, program it to save energy by increasing the heat significantly during the day when the house is empty, and 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.

4. Cook a cool meal
Just as drinking a nice cold cocktail cools your body, eating cold food helps keep your internal temperature lower on a hot day. One great option: Watermelon and Cherry Salad with Fresh Mint Syrup. If you do cook, use the grill or the microwave, or else you'll heat up your kitchen from using the oven and stove.

5. Shut off the lights
While modern lightning, like compact fluorescents and LEDs, are more efficient, incandescent light bulbs can produce as much heat as they do light. Energy Star-rated light bulbs produce 75% less heat, so consider that when replacing bulbs. It's always a good idea to shut off lights to save energy, it makes a big difference on hot sunny summer days. The same goes for many electronics, so consider unplugging any device that isn't needed (even in standby mode, many electronics remain hot).

6. Clean the air filter
Whether you have central air or a room air conditioner, a dirty filter will reduce its efficiency, making it use more energy and cost more money to do the same job. Check your HVAC system's air filter monthly and expect to change the filter every three months.

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