I’ve caved to the summer heat. For a while, I was determined to fight the good fight by turning on fans, wearing shorts and sandals exclusively and leaving doors ajar to let the fresh breezes blow in. But when I trudged inside after mowing the lawn and was greeted by a blanket of warm, stale air, I hit my breaking point. Finally, reluctantly, I’ve turned on my air conditioner. And in exchange, the prospect of skyrocketing energy bills haunts me.

If you’ve noticed your power bill creeping up in recent weeks, you aren’t crazy. The kilowatt per hour rate, the pricing unit for electricity, is going up as summer energy rates set in. Moreover, Energy Star states that the average household shells out $1,000 per year on home heating and cooling, which sends shivers down my spine.

But there are ways to stay comfortably cool indoors without going broke. You can’t live in arctic conditions, but you won’t have to swelter through the night, either. Start out by setting the thermostat to 78 degrees, which most energy experts advsie as the optimal summer temperature. Then, follow the five tips below to shave off more kilowatt hours from your next power bill.