Family Summer Fun Can Mean Energy Savings

Now that the oppressive heat and humidity of mid-summer are upon us, we need to find ways to stay comfortable yet not pay a fortune on cooling. There are two basic ways to save, 1) turn up your thermostat to 78°F or higher most of the time, and 2) stay out of the house and raise the thermostat or turn off the air conditioning altogether (this applies to window units as well)!

Here are some things I do during the hottest part of the day (around 1-5pm)…

1. I take myself…I mean the kids…to the pool—we could spend hours and hours there!
2. I go shopping (or better yet, window shopping)—if a grocery store, indoor shopping mall, shop, or restaurant is already going to be cooled, I figure I might as well take advantage of that cool air rather than cool my home!  Eating out avoids the hot oven or stove from heating your house up further.
3. I go to work—going to work AND turning up the thermostat or turning the air conditioning off altogether can save significantly on cooling costs.
4. I go to the library—public libraries are a great replacement for the home office on hot days.  The library will already be cool, so I might as well enjoy it along with energy savings by turning off my air conditioning at home.
5. I go to museums—there are several in the Triangle, Duke Homestead in Durham is free, and at least two in Raleigh are free (NC Museum of Natural Sciences and NC Museum of History)!

Tom