Even if your window is closed sunlight coming through the glass can heat up your house, which means your AC unit will have to work even harder to cool you down. 

To keep cool and increase your home's efficiency, close curtains, blinds or shutters on windows that get direct sunlight before the sunlight hits them.

Then, if the temperature drops at night, you can turn your AC off and open the windows back up to let cooler air into your home.

Almost all AC units have filters, which need regular maintenance to keep the dirt and dust from building up in the unit. Cleaning or replacing your AC filter can: 

• Improve efficiency by allowing air to flow easily through the unit
• Extend the life of your unit by keeping dirt away from the cooling coils
• Improve air quality in your home
  

Luckily, maintaining filters is often easy to do. Check your unit's manual for details, or visit the Department of Energy's AC Maintenance page.

In most New England homes, HVAC is the top energy user. So, if no-one's home to be cooled by your AC unit, turning it off can be a huge boost to efficiency. 

If your home is set up for it, a smart thermostat allows you to control your home temperature from anywhere.

But even if you don't have a smart thermostat, a simple note by the door or reminder in your phone can make a big difference. Whatever you need to do to make sure that your AC isn't running when no-one is home to be cooled.

Appliances like ovens, dryers and computers all create heat that winds up in your home. This can cause your AC unit to work even harder to keep you cool and reduce efficiency in your home. 

When you can, avoid using appliances in your home when the temp is at it's highest. If you need to cook, maybe use the microwave instead of the stove, or grill outside. Similarly, you can use a clothesline or drying rack rather than the dryer.