Fix any leaky faucets – one drop per second can add up to 165 gallons a month

Tune-up your heating and cooling system annually to keep it running as efficiently as possible

Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents – they use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer

Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads

Change air filters monthly

Seal gaps in floors and walls around pipes and electrical wiring

Caulk and weatherstrip around windows and doors to stop air leaks

Triple-digit summertime temperatures are a fact of life in parts of California. Heat can be a killer if you're not careful and play it cool. Here are things to remember when the temperatures start to soar.

Most healthy adults can cope with heat; their bodies are able to maintain normal temperatures...up to a point. The body maintains its temperature primarily through sweating. When body heat rises above the norm, the brain causes the blood vessels in the skin to dilate, providing increased blood flow at the surface of the body and supplying increased fluids to make sweat. As perspiration evaporates, it cools the surface of the body and lowers body temperature. If the humidity is higher, it is more difficult for the body to perspire normally.

Here are five ideas to keep your house and yourself cool:

1. If your area cools off in the evening,

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Kitchen in the Summer

Cooking less in the summer saves energy while cooling down your house and your body as well.

In the summer, pay attention to the long-range weather forecast especially the stretch of sizzling days ahead.

Take advantage of the cooler days to prepare a few extra meals and stash them in the freezer. The frozen food will be microwave-ready when you can't face the kitchen during a hot spell.

Eat and drink cold foods such as salads, fruits, sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, bread and cheeses, ice water, milk, etc.

If you have to cook, make something

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