It turns out there are a lot of easy, low-cost or no-cost things you can do to conserve energy at peak usage times, especially during the heat waves that put so much strain electrical grids and can cause blackouts.

Air conditioning is one of the biggest burdens on electrical power grids. While no one is suggesting you live without it during a heat wave, turning the thermostat up by even a degree or two can save energy, and money.

Jim Nanni, an engineer and manager in the appliance and home improvement group of Consumer Reports magazine, says that each degree that you raise your thermostat during the summer can save 3 percent on your energy consumption and costs.

The next thing to do is not run your air conditioner when you?re not there. Installing a programmable thermostat, which regulates the heating and cooling of your house around your schedule and turns it down when you?re not there, can save as much as 20 percent on your energy bills, Nanni says.

If you have plug-in air conditioner units that don?t have thermostats, another option is to pick up an appliance timer from a home improvement store, so you can set your unit to turn on, say, an hour before you come home so your place will still be nice and cool by the time you arrive.

With this option, Nanni stresses picking a timer that?s built to handle the heavy power load used by appliances like air conditioners, as opposed to a timer that?s made for turning on and off lights.

Shifting energy-intensive household tasks away from the peak energy use hours of late afternoon and early evening can also help reduce strain on electric grids, says Rozanne Weissman of the nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy in Washington, D.C.

Late afternoon tends to be the very worst time for strain on electric grids, Weissman says, since many people are still working but others have also arrived home and are cranking up the AC.

Doing simple things like waiting until 8 p.m. to do your laundry or run the dishwasher can do a lot to relieve strain on the electric grid, Weissman says. Using cold water in the laundry can save even more energy, she points out.

Remembering to regularly clean out the air filters on your air conditioning unit can help it run more efficiently, Weissman says. Also, for hot water heaters, 120 degrees is plenty hot, and any amount above that may be using more energy than you need.

Keeping the blinds or curtains closed on your windows during the day also prevents heat buildup in your home, especially on windows that face south, east or west. If you need to replace an appliance, look for the ?Energy Star? label, which means it?s been certified for energy efficiency.

For lights that remain on in your house a lot, consider using compact flourescent bulbs, which use about two-thirds less energy than regular bulbs.

Also, turning off electrical appliances that you?re not using will not only save energy, Nanni says. Leaving a TV blaring in the other room, lights on or a stereo running also generates unwanted heat.

Keeping your refrigerator going 24/7 makes up about 10 percent of your electric bill, Weissman says, so help it run efficiently by keeping the coils clean. This will also extend the life of your fridge. Also consider getting a refrigerator thermometer to make sure you?re not overcooling or undercooling your food.

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