How to stay cool and not break the bank

5 ways to save energy and still be comfortable

So you want to save energy and do your part for the environment, but you don't want to swelter and sweat through the summer because your home is uncomfortably warm?

There's no need to sacrifice comfort for your environmental conscience. Going green doesn't have to mean going overboard.

In fact, it's possible to trim your energy use by making a few changes your family probably won't even notice.
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First, the small stuff. Saving energy here and there will add up. Start with three simple changes:

1. Turn on your ceiling fan. The fan won't cool the room, but it will move the air so you feel cooler. That means you can inch the thermostat up by 3 to 4 degrees without noticing a difference. For every degree you turn up your thermostat during air-conditioning season, you'll save about 2 percent on cooling costs.

2. Replace traditional incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Standard bulbs use 90 percent of their energy making heat rather than light, so they can make your room feel warmer and force the air-conditioner to work harder. CFLs, on the other hand, keep their cool. Plus, they use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 10 times longer.

3. Change your air-conditioning filter every month. Even if the manufacturer recommends changing it every two or three months, do it every time you pay your electric bill. Arizona is a dusty place, and all that dust and dirt can cover your filter in no time. The dirtier your filter is, the less efficient your air-conditioner will be - and the higher your energy bill will be.

Now, the big stuff. These two changes can save you a bundle.

1. Invest in an energy-management computer. These gadgets cost around $3,500, but they'll save you a minimum of 30 percent on your air-conditioning bill every month - even if you keep your house downright cold.

The one in my house is from Advanced Home Systems in Phoenix. It "knows" when your electric utility's rates - which fluctuate several times every day so you actually pay less at times the fewest people are running their air-conditioners and taking hot showers - are lowest. To save on air-conditioning costs, for instance, it will automatically lower your thermostat overnight as low as you'll allow so your house will cool off while rates are at their lowest. Your home will retain enough of that cold air to keep it comfortable the next afternoon, when the computer will raise the temperature slightly so you don't use as much electricity when rates are at their highest.

2. When it's time to replace your water heater, go solar. By the time you cash in your rebates and tax credits for the new appliance and add in what you save on energy, it will quickly pay you back for spending a little more than for a traditional gas or electric model. It could generate as much as 80 percent of the energy to supply your family with hot water.

Buy one with a backup. Then you can revert to your traditional power source during a stretch of cloudy days so you'll never be without hot water.