Metateps

Plant some shade trees in strategic locations around your home to keep it cooler in the summer. Keep shrubbery away from the vents of your air conditioner. Combine that with some xeriscapinga method of landscaping that conserves water. These are the ideas behind it:

Planning and design based on your regional climate and microclimate.

Appropriate selection debt settlement and zoning of plants that can flourish in those climates (often native species considered to be weeds by your water-hogging neighbors).

Limiting grass or turf that requires heavy watering. In some cases you may need to let your lawn grass die, or kill it, to keep it from competing with your xeric plants.

Soil improvement. Improved soil increases absorption and moisture retainment. Soils improved with organics also provide essential nutrients to plants. Tilling, grading, organics and other improvements should be done before the installation of watering systems.

Adequate, efficient irrigation or watering. Determine how much your plants actually need, and take into consideration evapotranspiration (ET rate = the amount evaporated from the soil plus that transpired through the plant's leaves), and don't overwater them. Get the ET rate from your local extension service. When you water or irrigate, do so in the morning when the evaporation rates are low. If using sprinklers, use sprinklers that throw big drops. Small drops and mists are blown away or evaporate in the heat before they hit the ground. Many xeriscapers recommend gravel as a substitute for mulch because it collects dew.

Use of compost and mulch to provide nutrients, slow evaporation, maintain improved soil, and retard weed growth.

Adequate maintenance, including pest control, pruning, and weed control.
Energy-Efficient Appliances

When buying a new appliance, take the time to look at the yellow Energy Guide labels. These labels tell you the energy efficiency of the appliance, and will actually show you how much energy the appliance uses compared to similar models. This is shown in a white box in the center of the label and may start with the words this model uses. . . Energy Guide labels are required by the Department of Energy (DOE) on new appliances that have a fairly wide range of energy efficiencies between models, including refrigerators, freezers, water heaters, dishwashers, clothes washers, air conditioners, heat pumps, and furnaces. Appliances having little difference in efficiency between models, such as kitchen ranges, clothes dryers, and microwave ovens, are not required to carry the label.

A second label you might see on new appliances is ENERGY STAR; this is an EPA voluntary labeling program designed to help shoppers identify more energy-efficient products with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. ENERGY STAR-labeled appliances exceed federal efficiency standards. An ENERGY STAR-qualified appliance also carries the Energy Guide label, and Energy Guide labels sometimes tell if the product is ENERGY STAR-qualified. Use these labels to comparison-shop. Highly efficient appliances are often more expensive, but over the lifetime of the appliance, you will more than make up the difference with the savings on your utility bill.

When you get a new appliance, think practically about all the bells and whistles; for instance, manual-defrost refrigerators use a third less energy than auto-defrosters.