Stay cool and save cash with these hot home hacks

MINNEAPOLIS – If the heat has been too much for you already, there are easy things you can do to stay cool without breaking the bank. 

Whether it's jumping into a lake, or enjoying a sweet treat, some Minnesotans have been searching for ways to beat the heat.

"The AC's definitely on," said Steve Friederichson of St Louis Park. "I'd have it on a little bit but my family usually wants it pretty cool inside."

"We have the fans going. We've had them going for about a week now, but we don't have air conditioning in our house, so just fans for us," said Dani Ramseth of Minneapolis.

Something everyone can be a fan of is not seeing their energy bills go up as the temperatures do.  

"AC units are about 50%, if not more, of your energy bill in the summer. So by just raising the temperature a few degrees will help you conserve energy and ultimately lower the cost on your energy bill in the summer," said Trisha Duncan of Xcel Energy.

Xcel says investing in new tech for your cooling system can easily pay for itself. 

"Have a programmable thermostat on your AC unit so that when you're gone, you can higher the temperature. And then when you're home, make it more comfortable by lowering it," Duncan said.

There are also easy things you can do right now to save money and stay cool.

"Close your blinds during the day so that the daylight doesn't come in, and it acts as an insulator to your home. Turning on your ceiling fans or your fans that are on the floor to help really circulate that air. And then also, opening doors in your home to circulate the air as well," Duncan said.

Xcel and CenterPoint also have a home energy squad who can come out to your home and do an audit, checking for things you can do to save money.