Some home-cooling tips from the U.S. Department of Energy Security:

¢ Run the dishwasher at night, turn off lights when not needed, and use bath and kitchen fans to exhaust hot, moist air from bathing and cooking to the outside.

¢ Use a ceiling fan. Although ceiling fans don’t cool a house, they help people feel cool by moving air over them. Energy Star-qualified ceiling fans have optimized fan blades and motors; those with qualified light kits are 50 percent more energy-efficient than standard models.

¢ If you use window fans, place them on the cool side of the house, blowing inward. Fans blowing to the outside can depressurize a house, creating dangerous back-drafting problems with water heaters or other combustion appliances. Attic fans and whole house fans are not recommended for the same reason.