According to ENERGY STAR many people purchase air conditioners that are not the correct size for their needs, which leads to improper cooling and climate control.

Many people buy an air conditioner that is too large, thinking it will provide better cooling. However, an oversized air conditioner is actually less effective — and wastes energy at the same time. Air conditioners remove both heat and humidity from the air. If the unit is too large, it will cool the room quickly, but only remove some of the humidity. This leaves the room with a damp, clammy feeling. A properly sized unit will remove humidity effectively as it cools.

ENERGY STAR offers a simple three-step process to ensure you are selecting the right size air conditioner for your room needs.

First, determine the square footage of the area to be cooled, using the following formulas. For square or rectangular rooms, multiple the length of the area by its width. For a triangular area, multiple the length of the area by the width and divide by 2.

Next, determine the correct cooling capacity, which is measured in British thermal units (BTUs). Use the calculated square footage and ENERGY STAR’s chart to determine the cooling capacity.

Finally, make adjustments to the BTUs based on the following criteria.

• If the room is heavily shaded, reduce capacity by 10 percent.
• If the room is very sunny, increase capacity by 10 percent.
• If more than two people regularly occupy the room, add 600 BTUs for each additional person.
• If the unit is used in a kitchen, increase capacity by 4,000 BTUs.

Following these guidelines will help you select the most efficient air conditioning unit for your needs. Additional information is available at ENGERY STAR’s website, http://www.energystar.gov/.

Allconnect is a free online resource to review and compare the costs and choices for essential home services, including utilities, mobile phone service, high speed Internet, phone, cable TV, satellite TV, and home security systems.

An obvious option for summer cooking is outdoor grilling, whether gas or charcoal. Grilling doesn’t heat your home’s interior and fuel is long lasting and relatively inexpensive. Also, the direct heat makes for quick-cooking meals so there’s less cooking time and more enjoying time. For easy grilling tips and recipes, check out the website Fired Up by Kingsford.

If you don’t have access to an outdoor grill, there are simple techniques for reducing heat and energy use while cooking in your home. First, make sure all your cooking appliances are clean and operating properly. Ovens, microwaves and range tops are the most efficient at conducting heat when they are clear of debris and build-up. Also, if you’re using gas appliances, double-check the flame color for efficient burning. Remember, blue flames mean maximum combustion while yellow flames may mean that service is needed, according to ENERGY STAR.

Beyond appliance function, using the right-size pots on stove burners can make a difference in cooking time and energy efficiency. ENERGY STAR explains that using a 6-inch pot on an 8-inch burner wastes more than 40 percent of the burner’s heat. Also keeping a lid on pots and pans helps to speed up the cooking process, which, in turn, uses less energy.

Other cooking methods that reduce energy usage and heat in the kitchen, are pressure cookers, crock pots and microwaves. Pressure cookers quickly build up steam and pressure to cook foods, while crock pots use steady low heat to simmer and cook food over the course of several hours. And, of course, microwaves offer quick, concentrated heat with speedy cooking times and reduced kitchen heat.

Quick links, tips and recipes:

• Presto, a pressure cooker manufacturer, offers an easy-to-follow pressure cooker tutorial and recipes on its website. Additionally, most online recipe websites feature pressure cooker recipes, which can be sorted by ingredients and cooking method — Allrecipes and Food.com both offer a variety.
• Crock-Pot, one of the original makers of crock pots, has recipes, hints and tips for successful crock pot cooking on its website. Also, most recipes that require slow cooking a protein, whether in a Dutch oven on the range or in the oven, can be adapted to crock pot.
• Microwave cooking is probably the most convenient cooking method for anyone on the go, and you can still make healthy meals, not just the pre-packaged freezer meals. MicrowaveRecipe.net and MealsForYou.com both offer a variety of microwave meals, sides and desserts, including microwave basics like baked potatoes, corn on the cob and asparagus.

Allconnect is a free online resource to review and compare the costs and choices for essential home services, including home utilities, high speed Internet, phone, cable TV, satellite TV, and home security systems.

Small Appliances: Cook with your toaster oven, electric skillet and slow cooker for specialized jobs, rather than the range. Small appliances use less energy. Use the microwave. Microwave ovens shorten cooking times, which saves energy.

Refrigerators and freezers: Don’t set the temperature colder than necessary. Set the refrigerator temperature between 36° F and 42° F. Set the freezer control so the temperature is between -5° F and +6° F. A small thermometer placed in the refrigerator or freezer will help you set it correctly.

Dishwashers: Clean the filter. If your dishwasher has a filter screen, clean it regularly. A clean appliance runs more efficiently.

Ranges & oven: Don’t peek in the oven. Resist the urge to open the oven door while baking. Every time you peek, the temperature drops 25° F and requires additional energy to bring the temperature back up. For both oven and stove top use, put a lid on it. Cook food and boil water in a covered container whenever possible. This traps the heat inside and requires less energy.

Lighting: Control outdoor lighting. To assure only dusk-to-dawn operation of your outdoor lights, control your fixtures with a photocell or a timer.

Water heaters: Insulate water pipes. Use half-inch foam or pipe tape for insulation wherever pipes are exposed. On cold water pipes, insulate four to five feet nearest to the water heater. Pipe insulation can save you up to $25 annually. Reduce deposits and build-ups. Drain a bucket of water from the bottom of the water heater once or twice a year to reduce mineral deposits and sediment build-up. This increases water heater efficiency. Don’t drain the water heater, though, if you’ve used it for a year or more and have never drained it. The faucet may have corroded shut and could break if you force it open. Before draining the water from an electric water heater, turn off the water heater at the circuit breaker/fuse.

Essentially, homeowners can make improvements to an existing home that serves as their primary residence and qualify for tax credits. You can qualify for up to $500 in tax credits. This is a lifetime limit, so if you’ve qualified for $500 or more in tax credits in the past, you are not eligible.

Here are some improvements that qualify for 2011 tax credits:

• Biomass stoves qualify for up to $300
• Air source heat pumps and central air conditioners each qualify for up to $300.
• Natural Gas, Propane or Oil Furnaces qualify for up to $150
• Gas, Propane, or Oil Hot Water Boilers qualify for up to $150.
• New Insulation qualifies for 10 percent of the cost up to $500.
• Metal and Asphalt Roofs qualify for 10 percent of the cost, up to $500.
• Gas, Oil, Propane or Electric Heat Pump Water Heaters qualify for up to $300.
• Windows qualify for 10 percent of the cost, up to $200
• Doors and skylights qualify for 10 percent of the cost, up to $500

From now until 2016, you can also qualify for some larger tax credits:

• Geothermal Heat Pumps, Small Wind Turbines, Solar Water Heaters and Solar Panels qualify for 30 percent of the cost, with no maximum limits. These credits apply to existing homes and new construction, primary homes and secondary homes. However, rental properties do not qualify.

For more information about the restrictions — for example, when installation costs can or cannot qualify for the credit — and the requirements, visit EnergyStar.gov.

CFL bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, so they should not be thrown into household trash. They should be recycled.

Through its Eco Options program, The Home Depot has a free CFL recycling program. Simply place unbroken, expired CFL bulbs in a plastic bag — to prevent them from breaking — and place them in the collection bin at your local Home Depot store.

For more information about using CFL bulbs and The Home Depot’s CFL recycling program, visit The Home Depot’s Eco Options web site.

For information on safely cleaning up a CFL bulb that you’ve broken, see our post “CFL Light Bulb Safety.” If you collect a number of CFL bulbs before dropping them off for recycling, make sure you store them where they won’t get broken!

Most people agree that managing demand for electricity during peak times is key. (It doesn’t make sense to build expensive pollution-generating power plants that we need only a few days out of the year.) Demand response programs — which reduce electricity use during peak times — have been successful in commercial and industrial settings. Now, residential programs are being created. Check with your electric company to see if you’re eligible to participate in a program.

Most of these programs involve technology that allows the utility company to cycle your air conditioner on and off during peak demand. This means that on the hottest days of the year, from around noon to 7 p.m., the power company will cycle air conditioners off for a period of time each hour. (Your air conditioner will not be off the entire time period. The temperature in your home may raise 2 degrees, if that.) With enough people participating, the power company can ensure that every participating house has some air conditioning but that not all of the participating homes are using their air conditioning at exactly the same time — thereby relieving stress on the power grid. Many of these programs are only in effect on weekdays, when overall demand is highest and most homeowners are at work anyway. Some programs allow you to opt out of participation on a specific day.

Examples of incentives to participate in peak energy management programs:

• Georgia Power’s Power Credit program: Participants get a $20 credit for signing up and an additional $2 credit each time the service is used.
• In Pennsylvania, PPL Electric Utilities offers the E-power Peak Saver program: Participants can earn $32 for each central A/C or heat pump unit in their home — and you get the credit for each summer you participate.
• In Texas, CPS Energy offers frvee Peak Saver thermostats (valued at $300) to participants. The company installs the programmable thermostat for you. A programmable thermostat can save you money if programmed correctly — and this thermostat can even be controlled remotely, so you can adjust the temperature if you forget to change it before you go out of town.

[NOTE:  customers only have a choice in two states.  The industry is highly regulated.]

Participate in the continuing efforts to reduce your community’s electrical demand, especially during peak demand times such as hot, summer days and help keep electric prices reasonable for everyone.

Read up on Saving Money on Utilities for more information on how you can use Google PowerMeter to keep an eye on your home electricity usage, and then check out Allconnect to help save money on your monthly bills by using their Home Services Advisor tool.