How to reduce your cooling costs

Is keeping your home cool this summer breaking the bank? Here are a few tips that may help you reduce your energy costs.

• Maintain your air conditioner. It only takes a few minutes and a garden hose to spray off any dust or debris that may have settled on your condenser, the part of your air conditioning unit that is located outside your home. Be sure to power off the unit before giving it a good rinse. Doing so about once a month will keep it clean, so the unit doesn’t have to work harder than necessary.
• Make sure your condenser has room to breathe by keeping the area around it clear of shrubs and other vegetation or objects.
• Install a programmable thermostat and set it at 78 degrees during the times you’re home and at 85 degrees during the hours you are away from home. Also, close the curtains or shades on the south and west facing windows. And, turn on ceiling and table fans when you enter a room — and off when you leave it.
• Cook outdoors or in the microwave instead of in your regular oven. Your cooling system has to remove any heat that’s generated in your home. So, the less heat you create the better.
• Install compact fluorescent lights. They generate less heat than traditional light bulbs and cost less to run.
• Check out Pepco’s Energy Wise Rewards Program to see if it makes sense for you.  This completely voluntary program allows households to “cycle” central air conditioners to reduce electricity during “peak demand” times of the summer.