Forgoing the family road trip for a homebound vacation may not save you the money you'd hoped if it means running the AC full blast all summer.

Even with oil and other commodity prices dropping because of the recession, average residential electricity prices are expected to rise 4.7% this year compared to last year, and another 3.3% next year, according to the Energy Information Administration's Short-Term Energy Outlook. Reducing your home electricity use can save you money and shrink your carbon footprint. The typical home releases about twice the carbon dioxide every year that the typical car does, according to the Alliance to Save Energy.

Here's how to prevent your electricity bills from escalating even as prices climb.

Fine-Tune Your Equipment

Arrange an HVAC inspection. Hire a certified technician to check that your heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system is operating at peak efficiency. Leaking ducts, for example, could reduce the unit's energy efficiency by as much as 20%, says Ronnie Kweller, a spokeswoman for the Alliance to Save Energy. An inspection will usually set you back $50 to $100, but that could be offset by the energy savings you'll reap over time. Plus, if you schedule your appointment before contractors are swamped with repair requests, you could snag a 10% early bird discount.

Shop for size. If you're in the market for a new room air conditioner, use Energy Star guidelines to assess how powerful a unit you need. A too-powerful unit not only wastes energy, it is actually