NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - There's nothing like a little heat wave to remind you how grateful you are that Willis Haviland Carrier's mother had children.

That's because in the early 1900s Carrier invented instant relief for a summer's day: the air conditioner. Of course, much has changed since Carrier's time -- energy bills and environmental concerns among them.

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction expect temperatures on average this summer to be near normal to above normal across the United States. The good news is there are ways to keep your home cool during the blistering months without busting the bank or vexing nature unduly.

The key is to use well maintained, energy-efficient machinery and to apply low-cost, common-sense solutions to keep the heat and humidity in your life to a minimum.

For starters, ask your local maintenance contractor to give your air conditioner a check-up. The contractor will clean the coils, make sure you have enough refrigerant, and generally see to it that the system works as well as possible. You should also replace or clean the unit's filters as often as required. "It will improve the performance of the system," said Jennifer Thorne, a research associate at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION       • If buying a new air conditioner, pick one with an Energy Star rating • Clean and replace an air conditioner's filters as often as required • Schedule an annual check-up for your air conditioner • If you use central air or a heat pump, make sure your ducts are clean, sealed and well connected

Of course, if your A/C is several years old, consider getting a new model altogether, one that qualifies for an Energy Star rating from the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA estimates that the average U.S. home spends $1,300 a year on utility bills, with more than half going to heating and cooling. But by using equipment that has the Energy Star label, the agency estimates you can cut your bill by between 10 percent and 40 percent.

If you're in the market for a central air conditioner or heat pump (which provides cool air in warm weather), Thorne recommends buying units that have a seasonally adjusted energy-efficiency ratio (SEER) of 12 if you live in a climate that has only a few hot months a year, and a SEER of between 13 and 16 if you live in a climate that's hot all year long. The higher the SEER, the more you'll pay. But given the savings you'll realize on your energy bill, Thorne said, "It'll pay for itself in a couple of years." If you're buying an air conditioning unit for your window, she recommends looking for an energy-efficiency ratio (EER) of 11.

COOL LANDSCAPING IDEAS       • Plant deciduous trees on the south and west sides of your home. • Don't put in unshaded asphalt, rock or cement on the south and west sides of your home.

If you have central air conditioning or a heat pump, you also should have your duct system inspected and cleaned. Ducts should be well connected and sealed to prevent leakage, and they should be free of dust and debris. Otherwise, "the system has to work hard to push the air through," Thorne said.

Using a programmable thermostat with central air will also curb your energy bills because you essentially put your cooling system on cruise control by pre-setting the temperature you'd like your house to be at different times during the day, said Christina Kielich, a spokesperson for the Department of Energy (DOE). That way you don't waste energy when you're not home and you don't constantly adjust the thermostat to get the temperature right when you are home, which also squanders energy.

Given the summer heat, you're likely to wash your clothes more frequently. Heating water to wash clothes (and dishes) is one of the biggest ways we consume electricity. The less water used, the less energy consumed. You can achieve significant savings by upgrading your washing machine and dishwasher to models that qualify for an Energy Star rating, since they generally require less water to get the job done. A new washer, for example, uses only about 40 percent of the energy required to fuel a model that's 10 years old, Thorne said.

There are also plenty of common-sense ways to keep your home cool. If you have a sunny room, you'd do well to keep your curtains or blinds drawn at high noon, and the DOE suggests using sun-control or other reflective films on your windows facing south.

LOW COST WAYS TO KEEP HEAT AT BAY       • Keep curtains drawn in sunny rooms • Don't bake or run the dishwasher during the day • Don't use lamps that give off heat • Caulk air leaks in doors and window frames

As in winter, when cold air can seep into your house, you want to prevent warm air in summer from making any unwelcome visits. One of the best ways to do this is to apply caulking to doors and window frames where there may be air leaks.

If you're going to be doing any baking, that's best left to the cooler evening or early-morning hours, Thorne said, since heat from the oven can add to your home's temperature. The same goes for using your dishwasher, which can release heat in its drying cycle.

Lamps that are hot to the touch throw off heat and work at odds with your air conditioner. They're best left off. Or better still, use bulbs that don't overheat and use less energy, such as compact fluorescents.

If you're using two refrigerators, be sure the second one is in a well insulated room, as opposed, to say, the garage. If a refrigerator is in a warm space, it will consume more energy trying to keeping your food cold. In the long term, Thorne said, you might be better off consolidating and getting one new, large model that satisfies all your food storage needs.

RELATED LINKS       • Energy saver tips from the DOE • EREN fact sheet: Cooling your home naturally • EPA's guide to energy-efficient home cooling • American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy

If you plan on landscaping this summer, the DOE recommends that you do not put rock, asphalt or cement on unshaded areas around the south or west sides of your house since those materials will raise the level of heat around your home. Instead, you'd be better off planting deciduous trees on those sides of your home. Deciduous trees offer two seasonal benefits: they provide shade in the summer, when they're in full bloom; and they provide sun in the winter, when their leaves have fallen. The DOE estimates that three trees, placed strategically around your home, can save you between $100 and $250 a year in cooling and heating costs.