CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The first day of summer is just days away and already here in South Texas residents have been experiencing some very hot temperatures. A/C companies say during this time, they’ve been extremely busy.
It’s also a crucial time as ERCOT continues to ask and encourage Texans to conserve energy as much as they can. Conserving energy could also help save you some money on your next utility, bill but only if done properly.
“The wise use of electricity is important anytime because what it does is that it not only saves energy, but it lowers your bill because you’re not using as much electricity,” said communications manager Larry Jones with AEP Texas.
According to AEP Texas, some good ways to conserve energy at this time includes raising the temperature two or three degrees from your normal setting. Also, lower the blinds in your home to keep in the cool air, and avoid heat-producing gadgets such as the oven, stove, and dryer.
“Any of your appliances that use a lot of electricity you should try and delay in the evening,” said Jones.
We also spoke to President & General Manager Tom Swanson of Air Comfort Solutions who shared ways to take care of your A/C units.
“Another thing if you’re going to leave the house for the day go to work, don’t shut your system off. You can turn it up you know 8 degrees or so 10 degrees or so but don’t shut it off because if you shut it off and it gets up real high it’s going to work full straight into there [and] puts a lot of strain into the unit and you’re not saving any electricity on that either,” said Swanson.
Swanson also says it’s always best to make sure air conditioning is working properly and if not take action.
“If it doesn’t seem to shut off ,if you are noticing that you are setting it at 73 and it's sitting right around 75, 74 those are big signs of trouble, and you don’t want to wait till it goes completely out,” said Swanson.
