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TIPS: Staying cool and under budget

Tips to save money on your next energy bill with temperatures rising.

TYLER, Texas — It's officially the summer and with heat indices in the 100s this week, it's of the utmost important to stay cool. 

"Typically, this time of year, upwards of 70% of the average person's electric bill is made up of air conditioning," Charles Hill with Oncor said.

Hill says one thing that people forget during the summer, is to check their fireplaces to make sure they are properly closed. 

"If you don't close that damper it continues to suck air out of the house even though you don't have a fire going," Hill said. "So that that's one of those things to to check when you fire up your air conditioner in the in the summer."

Chelsea Adcock with SWEPCO says it's important to put your A/C at a comfortable temperature but be realistic with your expectations.

"The Department of Energy recommends 78 degrees Fahrenheit, which is extremely warm," Adcock said. "But if you go talk to an HVAC mechanic, typical systems can cool your home about 20 degrees than what it is outside. So when it's pushing triple digits, your machine is going to work very hard to get down to 80 degrees."

Adcock says to check your outside unit to make sure it isn't being covered up by any landscaping. That makes your A/C have to work harder and can cause costs to increase.

"Make sure that the plants aren't growing into it," Adcock said. "Or maybe stuff has fallen into your actual outdoor component and so just clear that area. Because again, that helps with the airflow."

While they won't keep you cool, Adcock also suggests replacing any old light bulbs with newer energy efficient bulbs that produce less heat. 

"With a traditional bulb, 90% of the electricity is actually generated as heat," Adcock said. "And so only 10% of the electricity actually produces light. Well, with these new LED bulbs, it's the opposite. And so pretty much all of that electricity goes to produce light."

For more energy saving tips, head over to SWEPCO Saves website.

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