RMLD Offers Tips On Staying Safe In The Heat

Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD) offers tips on keeping cool, while also conserving energy, during the hot summer months.

Keeping cool with air conditioning:

• Set the thermostat at 78 degrees or higher. You save  3-5% on your air conditioning cost for each degree you raise the thermostat.
• Clean filters.  Check air filters monthly or as recommended by the manufacturer.  Clean or replace them as needed.
• Use the auto fan setting.
• Buy an Energy Star air conditioner.  It can save you up to 10% over one that doesn’t have the label.  However, have an air conditioning technician or energy auditor determine the right size unit for the space.

Keeping cool without air conditioning:

• Use fans.  At night they help rid the house of the heat from the daytime sun.
• Close shades and windows during the day.  At night open windows opposite one another for cross-ventilation.
• Use ceiling fans.  They make people feel about four degrees cooler than the actual temperature.
• Turn off ceiling fans when you are not in the room.  The fans cool you, not the air.
• Reverse the ceiling fan motor in summer.

RMLD Customer Service Manager Maureen Hanifan also advises, “Install a programmable thermostat.  Make sure it’s programmed to automatically turn down the heating or cooling when you are not home and when you’re sleeping.”