1. Swap bulbs

If you still haven’t switched to CFL’s (Compact Fluorescent Light)  for environmental or economic reasons, do it to be cool. Incandescent bulbs waste about 90 percent of their energy through the heat they emit.

2. Keep a cool head

Try out a buck wheat pillow for bedtime. They don’t absorb and retain heat like cotton and down pillows.

3. DIY AC

Place a big bowl of ice water in front of a fan for a cheap alternative to central air.

4. Mind the blinds

Close your window blinds or curtains when you leave to prevent your home from heating up like a greenhouse while you’re gone.

5. Grill and chill

Cooking outside on the barbecue keeps you from heating up your home with a stove or oven. It also minimizes the time you must sweat over the dishes.

6. Don’t block your breeze

Open internal doors at night to maximize any fresh, cool air that makes its way inside.

7. Change direction

For the summer, set your ceiling fan to rotate in a counterclockwise direction to create a cooling, downward airflow. In winter, turn the setting back to clockwise to recirculate warm air.

8. Suck it up

Use your bathroom fan when you shower and your exhaust fan when you use your stove-top. They’ll help draw the hot air up and out of the room.

9. Unplug

Electronics emit heat when they’re plugged in, even if they’re turned off. Unplug them, or use a smart power strip, when you’re not using them.