PEMCO Insurance gives tips on keeping your home cool this summer

Many cities around the area have hit 90 degree temperatures this summer and that doesn't make for good sleeping weather.

The experts at PEMCO Insurance have tips on how you can save money on your energy bill and keep cool even without an air conditioning unit.

First, they recommend a programmable thermostat.

It's the easiest way to get the right temperature at the right time.

You can also change the settings from the weekday when you're not home as much to the weekends when you might be home for a longer time.

There's also a manual override if your plans change.

The Department of Energy says you can save up to 10 percent when you make a 10 degree change from the time you are not home to the time you get back home.

" For instance if you let the temperature go up to about 82 degrees during the day when you're not home and then set your programmable thermostat down to 72 a couple of hours before you get home," said Derek Wing who is the Communications Manager at PEMCO Insurance. "Then you're nice and comfortable by the time you get home, you'll actually save a bunch of money."

PEMCO recommends you talk to your energy company if you're thinking about getting a programmable thermostat. Sometimes, they can offer discounts or give you one for free.

If you don't have an A/C, Wing said there are other ways to keep cool.

"If you have a ceiling fan run it counter clockwise, that's actually the cooler way to run a ceiling fan," said Wing. "You can probably make your room about four degrees colder if you do that."

Old-fashioned box fans in the windows work too.

PEMCO recommends getting two different box fans. One would draw cooler air from the outside and the other one would push out hot air from the inside of your house.