School’s almost out, which means your family may be spending more time at home for the next few months. Some increase in energy use during the summer is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to skyrocket.
Here are four hot tips for keeping cool this summer:
Install a programmable thermostat to save on cooling costs.
Looking for ways to save on your energy bill? Now’s a great time to make the switch to a programmable thermostat, which you can set to a schedule so that you don’t have to adjust it throughout the day. Once it’s installed, explain to your family the importance of energy efficiency and the goals that come with switching to a programmable thermostat. Sign up for PSO’s Power Hours program and you could save up to 30% on your bill during the summer months and get a FREE programmable thermostat when you enroll.
Enjoy the outdoors.
Enjoy the warmer weather, and all the savings that come with it when you spend some quality time outdoors. Take the opportunity to bond with family and friends over yard games, cook-outs, or trips to the park for picnics! Before you head out, make sure you’ve turned off the lights, unplugged any unused electronics or appliances, and adjusted your thermostat to reap the most savings.
Turn off unused lights until it is second nature.
Lights left on when not needed can waste an enormous amount of energy, especially if they’re traditional incandescent bulbs. Switch to LED bulbs to save energy even when the lights are on, and then lead by example—if you turn off the lights every time you leave the room, your family will have an easier time doing it themselves. Interested in making the switch to LED light bulbs? PSO offers instant savings on select LED light bulbs at participating retailers. Pro tip: Look for the ENERGY STAR logo when shopping for LEDs.
Talk to your children about energy efficiency.
This might seem obvious, but at the end of the day, the best thing you can do to save energy when the kids are home is talk to them directly about it. But how do you keep their attention about something like saving energy when the pool is calling? With games, of course! Energy Kids is an initiative from the U.S. Energy Information Administration devoted to teaching children about energy through riddles, puzzles, quizzes and activity suggestions. They even have a mascot with an activity book you can download and print for free.