When the temperatures rise many people think twice before bumping up their air conditioners for fear of raising energy bills. Now is the time to take control of your energy bill with these tips from Duke Energy:
Think before you chill. Heating and cooling the home can account for more than half of the energy used.
Duke Energy recommends setting the air conditioner to the highest comfortable setting.
ěAdjusting your thermostat up a few degrees will have a significant impact on your cooling bill,î officials said in a statement.
A change from 73 degrees to 76 degrees ó 24 hours a day ó could save 30 percent on summer cooling costs.
Believe in the breeze. Use ceiling or oscillating fans to circulate the air to create a wind chill.
This can make the air in the home feel much cooler, but uses much less electricity.
Give appliances a break from the heat. In the summer, use the dishwasher, washer and dryer during the cooler parts of the day, such as the early morning and late evening hours.
Kill the vampires. Energy vampires are devices that use electricity even when they are turned off such as cell phone chargers, computers and other household electronics.
Together these energy zappers can account for up to 20 percent of an electric bill.
For more tips visit www. duke-energy.com/north-carolina/savings/lower-your-bill.asp.