In the middle of the summer, most of us just want one thing: to be inside, where it's cool.

However, no one wants the high energy bills that come along with putting our air conditioners on blast -- which is why a growing number of homeowners are looking for ways to cut their air conditioners' energy consumption.

Don't have the money to pay for one of the best heating and cooling systems on the market? Achieving energy efficiency, in many cases, doesn't have to cost you a dime. Here are just three of the things you can do to reduce your air conditioning energy consumption without spending any money:

Keeping your air vents open is necessary for preventing unnecessary strain on your home's heating and cooling system. Additionally, you should regularly clean your vents to make sure your air circulation is never compromised. For optimal energy efficiency of your heating and cooling systems, never close more than 20% of the air registers within your home.

By encouraging air circulation throughout your home, you can keep the air more evenly cooled -- subsequently reducing the amount of work your air conditioning unit has to do to keep the temperature consistent. Ceiling fans, box fans and whole house fans can all give your air conditioner a boost and improve your overall energy efficiency. Simply keeping your attic well-ventilated can cut your cooling costs by 10 to 12%!

If there are too many obstructions surrounding your outdoor air conditioning unit, there's a chance that you could be causing your heating and cooling systems to work harder to take in air. The result? You'll be unknowingly using up much more energy than you need to. To stop this from happening, it's recommended that you leave at least two feet of clearance around your outdoor air conditioning unit.