It’s summer in Austin, which means that the temperatures are rising… and so are the electricity bills. To help you beat the heat (and the high price tag associated with it) our city’s publicly-owned electric utility, Austin Energy, has launched a Summer Savings social media campaign to educate Austinites on the tools and tips available to help manage summer electric bills. You can follow along on Facebook here and on Twitter here.
Here’s a few recommendations they’ve already shared:
- Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher in the summer. Turn off your AC or raise the thermostat to 85 degrees when you are away for two hours or more.
- Clean your AC condenser/evaporator coils at the beginning of the season. Clean coils lower your energy costs, extend the unit’s life, and provide cleaner air for you to breathe.
- Unplug appliances and electronic devices when you are not using them. They use energy even when they are turned off.
- Close shades and curtains on windows hit by direct sunlight to prevent heat from getting indoors.
