Friday, June 29 - 101 degrees
Saturday, June 30 - 102 degrees
Sunday, July 1 - 101 degrees
Oh, did I mention that the lows will be in the mid 70's?
Obviously the summer has hit us with a bang. There are a number of things that we all need to be aware of during these extremely hot days. The first being our health. There are numerous websites that can give tips on how to stay cool and protect yourself during these heat spells. Our pets are also a big concern. We cannot fail to acknowledge the effects the heat has on our pets as well.
That being said, the purpose of the blog today is about…. money. We cannot control what Mother Nature has in store for us. All we can do is educate ourselves as to how during these periods we can save literally hundreds of dollars each month on our energy bills. Some of these things you have heard before (but I still think they bear repeating) and others are a little more subtle but still equally as important.
RooterPLUS! money saving tips to dealing with heat:
- Set the thermostat at 78 degrees - For every degree below this setting, you can expect an additional 5% increase on the cooling portion of your monthly bill.
- When doing laundry, use cold water for washing most clothes… always use cold water rinse.
- Use ceiling fans to circulate air instead of lowering the thermostat for your air conditioner. Remember, your AC can account for approximately 45% of your summer usage.
- Wash dishes with cold water and air dry. Only use the dishwasher when it is full.
- Caulk and apply weatherstripping where needed. Check all your windows and doors.
- Use natural lighting and compact fluorescent light bulbs. Ninety percent of the energy used by an incandescent bulb makes heat.
- Open the refrigerator and freezer doors only when necessary. It takes about 30 minutes for a refrigerator to "cool down" after being opened for just 30 seconds.
- Use a microwave oven or cook outside instead of using the stove or oven.
- Turn off lights when leaving a room.
- Close blinds and curtains on hot days.