Mother nature and the economy have no interest in cutting consumers a break
Longer, colder winters can quickly turn into drawn out, hotter summers. Adding insult to injury, this seems to be occurring as energy costs are going through the roof .
The most recent 90-degree and over days in many parts of the nation tested the patience of even those people who flourish in sultry temperatures. As electric meters spin like the one in "Christmas Vacation", how can you cut your energy costs and yet stay as comfortable as feasible?
My first suggestion:
Buy a programmable Energy Star-rated thermostat for as low as $25. "When everyone is away from the house, the thermostat can be increased and re-set so the temperatures drop to more comfy temperatures as people come back home. This one step can cut your energy bills as much as 10 percent, as the cooling expenses for a house in the summer time averages around 12 percent of the annual energy bill.
A great many utility companies plus energy-efficiency promoters suggest increasing the thermostat as high as 78 degrees while you’re at home, and 85 degrees when everyone is away from the house. Looking at a typical 2,400-square-foot home the per-degree savings works out to about $4, in a statement by Atlanta based Georgia Power.
A second suggestion is to add more insulation to make sure the house is well-sealed, but if this cannot be managed during a heat wave, that's understandable.
Other fairly simple ways to cool down a bit include replacement or cleaning the furnace/air-conditioning filters often, as advocated by the manufacturers; closing window coverings, shades, curtains blinds, on the house's sunny side, and use low heat energy-efficient lights, or just turn the lights off when a room is unoccupied. Jul 1, 2011
Saving Energy
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