CLAYTON - Simmering hot weather might have you reaching for the thermostat, but your electricity bill could put a hurting on your wallet.

Marvin Woll, a local energy-saving crusader, has a few tips to stay cool on a smaller budget this summer.

At his home in Clayton, a few family routines chop $40 off the typical energy bill, he said. For example, you'll never find a half-empty washer or dryer running there, and Woll insists on cold water only in the washer. Meanwhile, running full loads in the dryer means the Wolls use it less often, and cold water clothes-washes work just as well while using less power.

"It's like a behavioral lifestyle," Woll said.

Woll isn't just in it to save himself money. He takes every chance he can to share the tips he has gleaned from years of research and trial-and-error. "Two of my interests are helping people and trying to find ways to help people in the country use less energy," he said.

Through letters to the editor, free presentations and more, he passes on tidbits like his fan cooling technique.

On summer nights when the temperature drops below 69, he puts a box fan in the window and uses it to suck cool air into the house for about half an hour.

The temperature drops quickly and cheaply, and "then you don't even have to use air conditioning tomorrow," Woll said. "When we do this, our main air-conditioning unit does not come on until 3 or 4 in the afternoon instead of 10 or 11 in the morning."

He suggests keeping thermostats tuned to the high 70s or 80 degrees during the summer and fighting the heat with fans. Fans can cost a fraction of what air-conditioning costs per hour, he said.

"How much sense does it make to use to your big A/C?" he asked. "That's good money in your pocket."

Some more tips from Woll:

Run only a small stream of water when doing dishes manually.

Use the microwave oven instead of the conventional oven or stovetop when possible.

Flush your toilet only when necessary.

Shut off your dishwasher during its drying phase; the dishes can air dry.

Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save energy.

Change furnace and A/C filters every two months.

Turn off unused televisions and lights.

Shower quickly.