What's New In... Keeping Cool

Instead of enjoying the hot weather, you might be fretting over how much your monthly energy bill will be going up.

The Environmental Protection Agency says American families spend an average of $1,500 a year on their energy bills. In some regions, the tab is already four or five hundred dollars a month, or more!

So, our weekly "What's New In..." segment Saturday, The Early Show featured the very latest in high-tech air conditioners - the next generation! - as well as pointers on staying cool while keeping costs down, to avoid sweating over your bills.

Consumer Reports has surveyed the best of what's out there, and Deputy Home Editor Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman showcased several machines. Among them: a free-standing, portable floor model, and some energy-efficient window ACs, not to mention a less expensive option: a ceiling fan!

Consumer Reports says, if your air conditioner is old, you should consider buying a new, energy-efficient model. The Department of Energy says that could save you as much as 50 percent on your utility bill for cooling.

Fans cost pennies to run, compared to air conditioning. Try a fan first, then use it along with the AC when the heat intensifies.

Keep the house shaded by closing the drapes and blinds can help keep the temperature from rising inside, so the AC doesn't have to work as hard.

Kuperszmid Lehrman observes that, "You don't have to sacrifice comfort to save money on cooling this summer."

To prove it, she had these models with her Saturday:

AIR CONDITIONERS

Haier ESAD4066 Small Air Conditioner, 6,000 BTU ($240)

Top-rated green model uses R-410 A, a new refrigerant that doesn't deplete the ozone layer. In 2010, new models will have to have it.

The full-featured air conditioner offers a digital display, a built-in timer, and an energy-saver mode as well as a dehumidifier mode. It scored "very good" for indoor noise on low, "good" for indoor noise on high in Consumer Reports testing. This model comes with a five-year guarantee on the complete sealed refrigeration system.

Cooling Tip: Installing an air conditioner in a shady spot could increase its efficiency up to 10 percent.

Friedrich CP06E10 Small Air Conditioner, 6,000 BTU ($300)

Has an oscillating fan that blows left to right, as opposed to up and down. Also has auto-swinging vents, a slide-out design, and an exterior support bracket with a leveling provision.

PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONER:

Everstar Portable Air Conditioner with Remote, 10,000 BTU, $400.00

We got this one at Home Depot for $400.00 - a good price!

In order to be efficient and cost-effective, cooling needs to be portable. Everstar offers portable AC units for individual room cooling. With adjustable thermostats, easy draining, and various speed controls, you could cool off approximately 250 square feet in an efficient, localized way.

Features include an adjustable thermostat, three cooling speeds, three fan-only speeds, and a convenient, bucket-less drain system.

CEILING FAN

Ceiling Fan Tips:

Ceiling fans keep costs down by circulating the air.

Save energy and money by using ceiling fans and turning off the air conditioning or turning ACs on a few degrees and letting the fan do the rest.

Fans cool you, not the room, so don't run them when you aren't there.

Unlike ACs, ceiling fans won't lower a room's temperature or remove humidity.

Be wary of fans with large blades that have ridges, bumps, or other surface texture; those often make more noise than fans with smooth blades

A higher number of cubic feet per minute (cfm) means more air movement, but don't worry about small differences. Consumer Reports tests showed comparable airspeed from fans rated from 5,000 to 5,600 cfm. Fans with the most airflow also made the most noise, but it was wind noise and fluttering, not motor noise.

Spending more didn't guarantee better performance, but got fancier finishes on motor cover and blades.

Select the right size. While 52-inch fans are the most popular, they work best in rooms of 225-to-400 square feet. Choose a 42-to-44-inch model for 144-to-225 square feet.

Wobble can be fixed. Many fans came with balancing kits, a combination of weights that you attach to the blades to make up for slight differences in blade weight, and removable clips that help you determine where to place the weights.