Beating the Summer Heat While Keeping the Power Bill Low

Northern Virginia is settling into the first week of summer with high temperatures. Never fear, Northern Virginia Electric Coopertive has some tips for beating the heat inside the house without breaking the bank.

• Keep the thermostat at 78 degrees for comfort. If the house is empty turn the thermostat up a little.
• Before turning on the AC, make sure all windows and doors are closed and locked.
• Close all the shades and blinds on the sunny side of the house to reduce the sun’s heat.
• Delay running the dishwasher,washing machine or dryer until the evening to reduce heat in the house.
• Turn down the water heater from 140 degrees to 120.
• Avoid turning on extra electrical devices.
• Skip the oven and use a microwave or grill.
• Replace or clean the filter in your AC unit so that it works efficiently.
• Change out old light bulbs for the more eco-friendly compact florescent bulbs, which produce more light and less heat.

Once fall arrives, there are even more ways to prepare for future summers such as, buying a programmable thermostat, installing an attic fan or planting shade trees around the sunny sides of a home. For more information on keeping cool this summer go to novec.com.