More tips fpr Savings and Comfort

Cooling off is hard to do

It's no secret that summer is hot. Duh-uh. It's also a given these days that cooling the house is more expensive than ever. Power needs fuel and fuel is, well, the engine that's driving household budgets these days.
Here are some ways to trim the costs of keeping the house cool as summer heads into its hottest period.

Easy to dos

* Set the thermostat to 76 to 78 degrees or higher when your home is occupied, and 85 degrees when unoccupied. Consider installing a programmable thermostat, which can be bought at most major home improvement stores, to perform this task for you.

* Do not set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on the air conditioner. It will not cool the building faster, and, if you forget to change the setting, can result in excessive cooling and unnecessary energy consumption.

* Use shades and blinds to keep the sun out, and secure windows tightly to prevent air conditioning loss.

* Station fans in areas of your home where you spend time. Consider installing ceiling fans in bedrooms and other high occupancy areas. Use ceiling fans only when a room is occupied.

* Perform regular maintenance on cooling equipment, such as cleaning condenser coils, checking refrigerant pressures, changing belts and filters, and fixing duct leaks.

* If replacing a central air conditioning unit, older appliances, or electronic equipment, consider ENERGY STAR® products, which use significantly less energy.
n Place your gas water heater on "vacation" mode, or turn off your electric water heater when you leave town for extended periods of time.

The sound goes whup, whup, whup ...

* An easy option - and one that's environmentally friendly to boot - is the venerable ceiling fan. The tried and true can cut cooling costs and also conserve energy. For example, on a hot summer day, it costs an average of 43 cents an hour to run central air conditioning, and 16 cents an hour to run a room air conditioner. In contrast, a ceiling fan costs only a penny an hour to operate. This can save you up to 40 percent on home cooling costs.

What to buy?

* When choosing a ceiling fan, look for one with the government's ENERGY STAR® logo, since these products have been identified by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency as being among the most efficient on the market. There are many such energy-efficient ones available.