As the temperature rises, so do electric bills. To save money while staying cool, Con Edison offers these energy-saving tips.
- Make sure air conditioner filters are clean for peak efficiency.
- Set thermostats no lower than 78 degrees. Each degree lower increases cooling costs by 6 percent.
- Close off the rooms not being used if you have a room air-conditioner; if you have central air, block the vents in unused or vacant rooms.
- Turn off lights and other appliances, and use a timer to turn them on as necessary.
- Run appliances such as ovens, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers in the early morning or late at night when it’s generally cooler.
- Accept Con Edison’s offer of a free programmable thermostat if you have central air conditioning. Program the thermostat manually or from the Internet. Turning off your air conditioner when you are not there beats leaving it on all the time, and programming it instead to turn on before you return is a wise way to save on summer electric bills. To learn more about Con Edison’s free programmable thermostat, call 1-866-521-8600 or visit www.conEd.com/cool.
Con Edison also reminds customers that $25 rebates are available for customers who invest in cost-cutting Energy Star-rated room air conditioners. Applications for the $25 rebate can be downloaded at www.coned.com/roomacrebates.
