Most of us have experienced the uncomfortable feeling of having a busted air conditioner during the hot summer months. We leave the house just to hang out at other places that actually have decent cool air flow. Well prepare for this summer by heeding these simple yet critical tips on how to keep your AC working and working right.

1. Make Sure to Install a Programmable Thermostat

If you’re away from home a lot, a programmable thermostat is ideal. You don’t want the air blasting at 68 degrees when no one’s home during the day. A programmable thermostat allows you to keep the AC flow at a reasonable temperature while you’re out. This alone can save you almost $200 a year in energy costs.

2. Don’t Use the Central Fan to Provide Air Circulation

Here’s a bit of advice from Energy.gov: “If you have a central air system in your home, set the fan to shut off at the same time as the compressor, which is usually done by setting the “auto” mode on the fan setting.”

3. Thermostat Temperature

Don’t make every room in your home freezing just because it’s hot outside. Set the temperature as high as you can while still providing comfort throughout the home. This will knock quite a bit off of your annual cooling bill.

4. Do You Have an Interior Fan?

Using an interior fan to spread the cool air from the AC around will also save you some money can be just as effective as having your AC at a lower temperature all of the time.

5. Change Your Air Filter Regularly

This is SO important, people. You should usually change your air filter after every 3 months, but make sure you at least check it once a month. If you’re using your AC a lot, you might need to change it sooner. Those things can get dirty quick. Using the AC with a dirty filter wastes a ton of energy.