"Chill" with summer energy savers
As summer temperatures rise, you’ll probably see your energy bill creep up, too. After all, air conditioning is one of your home’s greatest electricity-users. Plus, if you have children home from school for the summer, they’re probably in-and-out of doors and looking in the fridge often. But West Florida Electric Cooperative offers the following summer energy-saving tips to help keep you keep your cool:
Close shades, drapes and blinds during the hottest part of the day to keep the sun’s rays from heating your house.
Use lamps only when necessary, because most of the energy incandescent lamps use is given off as heat. Consider switching to compact fluorescent lamps, which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent lamps and emit 90 percent less heat while producing the same amount of light. Turn lights off when you leave a room.
Use a microwave or outdoor grill instead of the range or oven, or eat salads and cold cuts.
Plant shade trees, especially on the east and west sides of your house, to reduce air conditioning costs by up to 30 percent.
Seal off your laundry room and water heater from the rest of the house. Washers, dryers, dishwashers and water heaters generate large amounts of heat and humidity.
Clean the clothes dyer’s lint filter frequently and check the outdoor vent opening. When lint slows the air flow, the dryer runs longer. When the vent is clogged, the clothes get a long, hot, damp, costly tumbling.
Arrange items in your refrigerator for quick removal and return. The longer the door is open, the longer the refrigerator runs, heating the kitchen and raising your air conditioning costs.
Set your air conditioning unit’s thermostat on "auto," never on "fan."
Seal air leaks around doors and windows using caulk and weatherstripping. Check for air duct leaks.
Replace your cooling system’s filters monthly. Make sure registers and return vents aren’t blocked by furniture or drapes.
To evaluate your household’s energy use, try the residential energy calculator on WFEC’s Web site at For additional information on energy efficiency, visit the U. S. Dept. of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Web.
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