Video More video CNN's Gerri Willis shares five tips on how to keep down your home cooling costs. Play video

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - As the temperature rises and sweat trickles down your back, it's nice to think about escaping the blaring rays of sun by slipping into an air-conditioned room.

At least, it's nice until you start getting the electric bill. Before you get overheated about all of this, chill out. In today's 5 tips we'll tell you how you can cut your home cooling costs when the heat wave rises.

It's crucial to get a good idea about what parts of your home use the most energy. Every household spends about $1,500 a year on energy bills, half of which goes to heating and cooling according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

With those kinds of dollar signs, it pays to do some assessing. Visit www.homedepot.com/energy to pinpoint some trouble spots.

For instance, make sure your heating and cooling vents are not blocked by furniture, dust or debris. A simple vent cleaning can help circulate air and make your home more energy efficient.

Make sure your ductwork is sealed and insulated properly. Home Depot says leaky ductwork accounts for 10 to 30 percent of total heating and cooling costs. How can you tell if you're looking at an air leak? Look for dirt streaks, especially near joints or seams.

By caulking and weather stripping all seams, cracks and openings to the outside, you can save 10 percent or more on energy bills by reducing air leaks, according to the Alliance to Save Energy. Take a quiz about your home's insulation efficiency at www.simplyinsulate.org.

To keep heat from building up in the home, make sure your appliances are on your side. Appliances generate a lot of heat. Try to use a microwave instead of an oven. Of course that apple pie may not have the same flavor, but we're talking sacrifices here.

And try to run washers, dryers, and dishwashers during evening hours. You can even cut your utility bills by up to 30 percent with air conditioners, major appliances, lighting, and electronics that have the Energy Star label.

This label means a product meets energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

And keep your lamps and television away from the thermostat. It's a no-cost step to make sure your air conditioner is running as efficiently as possible, says Ronnie Kweller of the Alliance to Save Energy. For more information on energy-efficient products, check out their Web site at www.ase.org.

While some people enjoy basking in the sun's rays, it is the intensity of the sun that we want to keep out of our homes. Landscaping is a natural way to shade your home and block the sun. A well-placed tree, bush, or vine can deliver effective shade and add to the aesthetic value of your property.

When designing your landscaping, use plants native to your area that will survive with minimal care. Trees that lose their leaves in the fall -- in other words, deciduous trees -- help cut cooling energy costs the most. Grown on trellises, ivy or grapevines can shade windows or the whole side of a house.

Or think about shading devices like an awning or shutters. A properly installed awning can reduce heat gain up to 65 percent on southern windows and 77 percent on eastern windows according to Doityourself.com.

A light-colored awning does double duty by also reflecting sunlight. For shading inside your home, think about investing in drapes or curtains. Light colored or opaque fabrics tend to reflect sunlight better.

Take advantage of the times when you're away from home and you don't need your home to be as cool. Consider installing a programmable thermostat.

A programmable thermostat will set an air conditioner to turn on and off automatically based on your schedule. A programmable thermostat can save about $100 every year in energy costs, according to the EPA.

To maximize savings, install the thermostat away from natural hot or cool spots, and program it at a higher temperature when you're on vacation. Programming the thermostat from 72 degrees to 79 degrees for eight hours a day while no one is home, or while everyone is tucked in bed, will cut your cooling bill up to 10 percent, says Kweller.

You can also program the thermostat to turn the air conditioner back on about 30 minutes before people start to get home in the evening. This way the house is comfortable when they arrive

Get rid of your incandescent bulbs. Florescent lights may be a bit more expensive, but these bulbs use 66 percent less energy than your standard bulbs.

Kweller says that if you replace your 100 watt incandescent light bulb with a 32 watt compact florescent bulb, you can save $30 over the bulb's life. Now that will surely brighten your day.

Gerri Willis is a personal finance editor for CNN Business News and the host for Open House. E-mail comments to 5tips@cnn.com.