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Four ways to survive heat wave – and keep energy bills down

As America blasts its ACs and put its fans on overdrive to try to cope with the heat wave, it will use a lot of energy – which costs a lot of money. More than 40 percent of a typical home’s utility bill goes toward cooling costs.

Here are four tips for keeping energy costs down and still staying cool.

4. Install a programmable thermostat

  • By Patrick Wall Contributor

Programmable thermostats for air-conditioning systems keep houses cool when people are home, but let temperatures rise when they’re away. Using such thermostats can conserve a lot of electricity – and money.

“You can save hundreds of dollars,” says Chu, who says families should set their ACs to kick in about one hour before they return home.

Properly programmed thermostats can save homeowners about $180 a year, according to the Energy Department.

For more energy-saving tips, visit the Energy Department’s conservation website, energysavers.gov.

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