National Grid offers tips to keep cool<\/p>\n
Beating the heat in Upstate New York is as simple as lowering the thermostat and closing the blinds. With high temperatures and humidity on the horizon, National Grid wants our customers to reduce their energy usage and bills by incorporating some easy no- and low-cost energy solutions into their lives, the utility company wrote in a pres release.<\/p>\n
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, about three-quarters of sunlight shining on a double-paned window enters the home as heat.<\/p>\n
\u201cClosing your window coverings can keep rooms cool and delay your air conditioning from running as frequently,\u201d the release says, and air conditioning accounts for 12% of a home\u2019s electricity use during the summer as we look for ways to stay healthy and comfortable on the hottest days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prepare your home<\/p>\n
Before the season\u2019s first heat wave strikes, there are simple energy efficiency steps you can employ to be prepared and stem your energy usage, according to National Grid, such as:<\/p>\n
-Replace your air filter. Dirty air filters on central and room air conditioning systems can choke off the flow of air to your home\u2019s ventilation system. Changing or cleaning your filter, as directed by the manufacturer, permits air to flow freely and your system to run more efficiently.<\/p>\n
-Vacuum your air intake vents and keep them clear. Dust builds up on your home\u2019s air returns and a couple of minutes with a vacuum can keep the air flow moving. Move toys, furniture and other objects away from the intake vent to keep air moving.<\/p>\n
-Check the seal on your window air conditioner. Moisture can damage the air conditioner seal, allowing cool air to escape and warm air to enter. Inspect and replace damage seals to keep your unit working at peak efficiency.<\/p>\n
-Consider rearranging furniture near your thermostat or room air conditioner. Lamps and televisions radiate heat, and if they are too close to the thermostat, your air conditioning could run longer than necessary to cool a room.<\/p>\n
-Replace incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs. Incandescent light bulbs use more energy and emit more heat than an LED bulb. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LED bulbs use at least 75% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lighting.<\/p>\n
-Consider installing a programmable or smart thermostat. Programmable thermostats allow you to run your air conditioning on a schedule, while smart thermostats offer the ability to control your home\u2019s temperature from your mobile device or computer, and learn your usage trends. These thermostats can save as much as 10% on your annual electric cooling bills.<\/p>\n
When the Heat Arrives<\/p>\n
-Set your thermostat\u2019s temperature and keep it there. The lower your air conditioning temperature, the more costly it is to operate. Setting the temperature a couple of degrees higher can save money without compromising your safety or comfort. According to Cornell Cooperative Extension, you can save 3-5% on your summertime energy bill for every degree you raise the temperature. For example, a 75-degree setting costs between 9-15% more than a 78-degree setting.<\/p>\n
-Run fans with your air conditioning. Running a ceiling fan along with your air conditioning allows you to raise your thermostat by about 4 degrees without impacting your comfort level. Using oscillating or box fans near your air conditioning vents creates an air flow like winter windchills, as cold air circulates throughout the room.<\/p>\n
-Turn off lights when you\u2019re not using them. This can help save money by reducing your electricity bills, extend the life of your light bulbs, and result in buying bulbs less often.<\/p>\n
-Keep your interior doors open. Everyone needs privacy but keeping interior doors open promotes airflow between rooms and balances the temperature throughout your home.<\/p>\n
-Close your window coverings. Ambient sunlight can heat a room, and drawing your curtains and blinds can reduce the sun\u2019s heating of your home and keep your air conditioning from running more than necessary.<\/p>\n
-Think twice before starting your oven. Conventional and convection ovens can add unnecessary heat to your home and force your air conditioner to run unnecessarily. Keep the heat outside by using a grill or, if that\u2019s not an option, consider using a microwave or slow cooker to do the job.<\/p>\n
-Delay large appliance use. Avoid running your dishwashers and laundry appliances in the afternoon or evening, when energy use is highest. Try to run them during the morning or, if you have a delay setting, run them overnight.<\/p>\n
National Grid offers tips to keep cool – pictured a National Grid truck. Richard Rosentreter photo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"National Grid offers tips to keep cool Beating the heat in Upstate New York is as simple as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72928,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[21249],"tags":[2728,767,2580,18,33267,7682],"class_list":["post-72927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-national-grid","tag-front-page","tag-local","tag-national-grid","tag-news","tag-public-service-news","tag-top-stories"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/116835314770141327","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72927\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}