During this hot summer, PECO knows customers may be using more energy to cool their homes. With heat expected to continue through the month, PECO provides tips to help customers manage their energy use.
Here are steps that all customers can take to save energy and money:
- Turn it off: Turn off all unnecessary lighting and devices.
- Manage your thermostat: Keep thermostats at a constant, comfortable level when at home. Raise the thermostat setting for days of extreme heat to save even more. Install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust your home’s temperature settings when you’re away or sleeping.
- Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed: About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes through windows. Simply closing blinds and curtains, which act as a layer of insulation, can reduce heat in your home.
- Use ceiling fans to circulate air: For those without air conditioning, use ceiling fans or portable fans with the windows partially open to circulate fresh air into your home. For those with air conditioning, fans can be used to evenly distribute cool air.
- Use appliances wisely: Run appliances that produce heat (like clothes dryers, ovens and dishwashers) at night when it is cooler.
Customers should always put safety first. Be sure to check on elderly neighbors and relatives without air conditioners during prolonged periods of high temperatures.
To reduce the impact that high temperatures can have on monthly energy costs, customers also can sign up for budget billing. Budget billing makes short-term fluctuations in monthly bills easier to handle by dividing annual energy costs evenly throughout the year. Customers having trouble managing their bills should contact PECO immediately at 1-800-494-4000.
For more ways to save energy and money visit peco.com/smartideas or call 1-888-5PECO-SAVE.