Energy consumption for home air conditioning accounts for almost 5% of all the electricity produced in the U.S. and costs homeowners over $11 billion annually, emitting roughly 100 million tons of carbon dioxide. Before you consider upgrading your cooling equipment, the cheapest way to save money and energy from cooling is to reduce the need for mechanical air conditioning in the first place. There are many ways to cool off your home without ever having to turn on the A/C.