City of Washington issued the following announcement on June 15.
Don’t let the hot summer weather raise your electric bill. Check out these summer energy saver tips from our Washington Electric Utilities Team and keep your house cool and your electric bill low.
Set your thermostat at78 or higher in the summer; a one-degree change will increase your energy use by 3-5%.
Use fans instead of, or in addition to, air conditioning. Remember to turn fans off when rooms are unoccupied.
Close windows, drapes, and blinds during the hottest times of the day.
Turn on the exhaust fan in the kitchen when cooking and in the bathroom when showering. This reduces the amount of hot, moist air circulating in the house. Remember to turn the fan off after 20 minutes.
Install a programmable thermostar to turn up the air conditioner at night or when you are away from home.
Switch your central air conditioning to “auto” for better cooling and humidity control bills versus keeping the system “on” continuously.
Use your microwave or toaster oven instead of your full-size oven for cooking.
Clean or change your filters monthly to keep your system running at peak performance.
Make sure AC window units are placed on the north side of your home. If it is placed on the south side, you’ll get more sun, which will cause the unit to run constantly.
Plant shade trees in your yard for a natural source of cooling.
Postpone dish-washing and laundry until later in the evening; hang laundry outside to dry if possible. Peak hours are from 3-6 p.m. in the summer.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Washington
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