Keep your cool - and your cash
If you're reluctant to turn on your air conditioner to beat the heat, just try these five easy summer energy-savers to keep your cool - and your cash:
- Raise the thermostat to about 78 to 80 degrees whenever you go to bed or leave the house. A programmable thermostat will do this for you automatically.
- During late afternoon and early evening, turn off unnecessary lights and wait to use heat-producing appliances. It's also a good idea to shade south- and west- facing windows during the hottest part of the day.
- Use ceiling fans to help circulate air throughout the house , and make sure your attic is properly ventilated. A ceiling fan should run clockwise during the summer and counter-clockwise during the winter.
- Set the fan on your central air conditioner to "on" rather than "auto." This will circulate air continuously, keeping the temperature more even throughout the house and aiding in dehumidification.
- Make sure your window air conditioner is the proper size . It's better to get one that's too small than too large - a larger unit will start up and turn off more frequently and won't do as good a job dehumidifying the air.
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