Summer heat and higher electric bills

Chris Rohlfing at Boone Electric Cooperative said it’s important people to recognize what’s making them use more energy.

“Every one degree that you push your thermostat down can equate to over eight percent more in cost in the amount of electricity it takes to run the air conditioner,” Rohlfing said.

Rohlfing said humidity plays a major role in how hot the air in your home feels.

“Almost half of the energy used by the air conditioner is used to get rid of the humidity that is coming in to your house,” he said. “Either through the open door or maybe even a leak around a window or somewhere around an outlet.”

Turning on the exhaust fan in the kitchen or in the bathroom can help with the humidity in their home, he said.

Another method to lower energy usage is to upgrade to LED light bulbs which use about 75 percent less energy than a regular light bulb.

Rohfling said to upgrade to energy efficient appliances to save electricity costs.

“The less energy that you use, the less heat that the appliance will put in your house,” he said.