Summer and the higher temperatures it brings, increases electrical loads. Keep cool this summer and save energy costs by following these simple tips around the house.

• Turn off unnecessary lights. Much of the energy from a light bulb is heat.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) and light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs.
• Make sure furniture or drapes do not block your registers for supply and return air. This helps your HVAC system operate more efficiently.
• Clean or replace the air filters in your HVAC system so it won’t have to work so hard to cool your home.
• Close blinds, shades or curtains during the hottest part of the day to reduce sun heat.
• Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows.
• Weather-strip or caulk around window and door frames to prevent air leaks and keep cooled air inside your homes.
• On mild days, open windows for natural ventilation and turn the air conditioning off.
• Use portable or ceiling fans. Run ceiling fans counterclockwise. Even mild air movement of 1 MPH can make you feel 3 to 4 degrees cooler. Just don’t forget to turn them off when you leave the room.
• Wear thin, loosely fitting clothes and you may not have to keep room temperatures as cool.

Cooking

• Cook on your outdoor grill. The indoor stove or oven can raise your kitchen’s temperature as much as 5 to 10 degrees!
• Use a microwave oven instead of a conventional oven to save money and keep your kitchen cooler.
• Move a spare refrigerator out of the garage to an insulated basement or spare room. You’ll save money because the unit won’t have to work as hard to keep food cold.

Household Chores

• Do heat-and-moisture-producing jobs such as cooking, cleaning, ironing, and laundry during the cooler early morning and evening hours.
• Run the dishwasher only when it’s full and run it in the early morning or at night when the outside temperatures are cooler.
• Air-dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s heat drying cycle.
• Avoid unnecessary trips in and out of the house, especially on very hot days. Heat and humidity come in each time you open the door.