5 Ways to Immediately Save Money on Cooling Your Home

Air will flow through your unit with greater efficiency if you change your A/C's filter regularly. If it's dirty or clogged, it's working too hard and will cost you more money.

During the summer you want the fan to blow air straight down, so your ceiling fan needs to run in a counter clockwise direction (as you look up at it). The warmer it is, the higher the speed should be. Using your ceiling fan can lower air-conditioning costs by up to 14 percent over the course of the cooling season.

Direct sunlight in any part of your home will cause heat pockets. Pull the drapes when you leave for a cooler home when your return. This should include all south and west facing windows in the summer.

According to CBSNews, using a programmable thermostat can save you a whopping $180 per year! It saves energy by automatically turning itself down when you're away and remembers the temperatures you like and programs itself. I haven't installed one myself but they say they're easy to install.

According to U.S. Department of Energy estimates, you'll use about 10 percent less energy with a new Energy Star appliance than one without that designation. Seriously consider replacing your unit if it's more than 10 years old.