Summer savings: Tips to keep your electricity costs low during periods of hot temperatures

Tips to keep electricity costs low during periods of hot temperatures

With energy prices at their highest in years, FOX 29 has tips from local power companies about how you can save money on your electricity bill.

PHILADELPHIA - Expect your air conditioner to run more this weekend because your FOX29 Weather Authority says we’re in the 90s.

With energy prices already at their highest in years, FOX29 asked some local power companies how we can save money on your electricity bill when temperatures sizzle.

Here are ways to make your home more energy efficient:

Run appliances that produce heat at night—when it’s cooler. We’re talking appliances like your clothes drier, dishwasher, and oven.

Cover your windows by closing curtains and blinds. According to PECO Energy, the power company serving the Delaware Valley, "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."

Look around your windows and doors to see if you have any gaps. Cool air from your home can escape through these gaps. If you have any, you could seal them with caulk or weatherstripping.

Use a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats can be set so that your air conditioner runs less when you’re sleeping or when you’re at work.

Use a ceiling fan. The United States Department of Energy details how ceiling fans help you feel cool: "Fans work by creating a wind-chill effect on your skin so you feel cooler. Raising the temperature and using a fan can help you use less energy running your air conditioner."

Use LED light bulbs. LED light bulbs give off much less heat than traditional light bulbs.

Jane George, the Regional Affairs Directors at PPL Electric Utilities, recommends using budget billing. PPL delivers power across the Lehigh Valley and to parts of the Philly suburbs. Both PPL and PECO have budget billing.

While budget billing won’t save you any money, it helps you manage your monthly electricity costs.

According to Jane, "We (PPL) take an average of all your bills throughout the year, we break it down, and then you have the same amount due every month so you can budget and prepare for what that bill is going to be."

If you end up using more power than your average amount one year, you’ll have to pay for those extra costs. If you use less power than usual, you’ll get a credit.

Watch FOX29’s interview with Jane to get more energy efficiency tips:

Tips to make your home more energy efficient

Jane George, the Regional Affairs Director at PPl Electric Utilities, speaks to FOX 29 and offers recommendations for making your home more energy efficient as temperatures rise.