Top 4 tips to beat the heat
EUGENE, Ore. -- Summers in the Pacific Northwest are absolutely beautiful. But in the next few days it is going to get downright hot. So how do you keep your house cool and stay comfortable at night? Here are four tips to help you beat the heat.
Tip #1: Be air conditioner smart. Set your thermostat at 78 degrees. Keeping your house any cooler than that will increase your air conditioning bill by up to 8 percent. And don't turn your air conditioner off when you leave. Instead, set your thermostat at 85 degrees. That will actually use less electricity that it would if you had your air conditioner off all day long.
Tip #2: Don't let the sun shine inside your house. Instead, keep your blinds shut during the day, especially on south facing windows where the most heat can get in.
Tip #3: Keep your windows shut at night.
Tip #4: Reduce the amount of heat already inside your house. There are several ways of doing this. First, use things like your oven and your stove in the morning hours when it's the coolest. Also, unplug items that you are not using, like cell phone chargers because even if they aren't charging anything, they are still drawing energy.
