In the past I always looked forward to the summer months. Family barbecues, hanging out at the local beach, outdoor excitement means summer fun. But one of the biggest thrills? The reduction in my energy bill. So you can imagine the slight shock I received when I opened the invoice for July of this month and read it. Oh.

You may have had this same feeling when you opened yours. Before I jumped on my phone to call my gas company and report the error, I saw a small note on the back of the bill.

This note explained how the gas bill normally goes down in the summer months. But (I always get nervous when they say but), because of the natural gas surge, they’ve had to pass the cost on to consumers. With everything else going up, I was hoping my gas bill would go down, considering I use a lot less gas in the summer, silly me.

Therefore, I have decided to share these cost saving tips with you. You are no doubt experiencing or will experience the same “gas bill label shock” that I did. Here are 21 ways to help offset your extra cost of energy this year.

1. Try to put air conditioning in certain rooms that you occupy instead of the whole house by closing the rooms that you will not be in for a long time.

2. Use a fan with your air conditioner to distribute cool air faster.

3. Use a fan instead of your air conditioner when possible.

4. Do most or all of your cooking in the early hours of the morning.

5. Use the microwave instead of the stove or oven during the day and night.

6. Make sure you drink plenty of ice water throughout the day. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugary drinks in excess.

7. Get one of those miniature spray bottles, fill it up with cold water, and lightly mist your face, neck, and legs if you’re wearing shorts.

8. Remember that hot air rises, so you’ll get cooler air lying down or resting on the floor than sitting in a chair or on the couch. If you live in a two-story house, the coolest air is on the first floor.

9. Most utility companies offer a flexible plan or a reduced payment plan for people who may have trouble paying their summer utility bill. Contact your local utility company for details.

10. For rooms facing the sun, be sure to keep the blinds closed during the day. If you have to open the blinds, open them in the up position to keep the room cooler than in the down position. Try it.

11. Install white or light-colored blinds to reflect heat away from the house.

12. Close the blinds on the south and west windows of your home during the day when the sun is hottest.

13. Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents. Compact fluorescents provide the same amount of light but use a fifth of the energy and heat.

14. Turning your hot water heater down to 120 F is comfortable for most uses during the summer and will help dramatically reduce your energy bill.

15. Shower at night instead of in the morning. You will find it more refreshing after a hot day and you will use less hot water, a cold shower might sound like a good idea after a hot and humid day.

16. Arrange your refrigerator so that you can find items easily, this will avoid having the door open for a long time. For every five seconds you hold the door open during hot weather, the refrigerator’s temperature drops 2-3 degrees, making it work harder and burn energy.

17. Avoid bathing, better shower and save water.

18. Planting a tree on the west and south side of your house can save you up to $100 to $150 in energy costs. A deciduous tree will help cool your home in the summer and let in sunlight in the cold winter months. Be careful planting it too close to the house where roots can be a problem, check with your local nursery for details.

19. Insulating your attic can reduce your energy cost by 10 to 12 percent.

20. Check your hot water tank. A hot water tank that is warm to the touch needs additional insulation. Insulating your storage water heater tank is simple and inexpensive, and will pay for itself in about a year. You can find pre-cut jackets or blankets available for $10-$20. Buy one with an insulation value of at least R-8. Also, some city utility companies sell them at discount prices, offer discounts, and even install them at little or no cost.

21. A home energy audit is the first step in learning how much energy and money is wasted in your home. It’s the best way to find out what you need to do to make your home more energy efficient. You can perform a simple energy. audit yourself, or have a more thorough audit performed by a professional energy auditor.