Keeping Cool: 7 Household Tips to Reduce Strain on Your AC

4. The heat that enters and escapes through windows is responsible for 25%-30% of a home's cooling and heating energy costs. When shopping for new windows, check the product's Energy Star label and National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) labe l. Low-emissivity double-paned windows are widely recognized for increasing a home's energy efficiency. Less expensive options include window films and exterior solar screens, which do-it-yourselfers can install. Learn more here.

5. On hot days, heat is conducted into a home through the roof, walls and windows. Reduce this "heat gain" by painting exterior walls and roof tiles (see #6, below) a light color so they'll absorb less heat; or by planting vegetation - shrubs and short trees - or installing vine-laden trellises to shield exterior walls and windows.

6. White or light-colored roof surfaces that reflect heat away are preferable to dark roofs, which absorb sunlight and heat up a home. Adequate ventilation and insulation can keep heat inside an attic from transferring through ceilings and into living spaces. Otherwise, attic temperatures can reach as high as 140-160 ⁰F, according to the SRPconnect blog. Make sure to seal attic hatches for air leaks.

7. As much as possible, schedule activities that add heat to interior spaces - doing laundry, running the dishwasher, cooking - earlier in the day or later in the evening. This is especially important for customers on Time-of-Use rates. Television screens, home entertainment systems, cooktops, washers and dryers and lights all generate heat, so stagger usage rather than running all of them at once during the hottest parts of the day. This will help reduce the strain on your air conditioner and the state's energy supplies.