FirstEnergy Utilities Offer Hot Weather Tips

AKRON, Ohio, June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- This week is bringing the first stretch of hot, humid weather to FirstEnergy's (NYSE: FE) service areas for the summer of 2013.  Customers should consider taking steps to stay cool and make sure their friends and family remain safe during the intense heat.

"With the summer heat comes heavy electricity usage as our customers try to keep cool," said Charles E. Jones, president of FirstEnergy's utilities.  "There are many steps customers can take to increase both their own comfort level and their wise use of electricity as the hotter weather continues throughout the summer."  

Some common-sense hot weather tips include:

• During sunny weather, close drapes or blinds on the sunny side of your home to prevent the sun from directly heating the inside of your home.
• Set your air conditioner's thermostat to as high a temperature as is comfortable.  Every degree you can increase the temperature in your home will result in using about 3 percent less energy during the hottest summer days.
• Use fans – moving air cools your skin faster, resulting in greater comfort on hot days.
• Use a programmable thermostat to keep the temperature in your home warmer during the work day then set it to be cooler by the time you arrive home.
• For window air conditioners, only operate the unit while someone is in the room.
• Keep your refrigerator and freezer as full as you can.  Frozen or cold items in the refrigerator help keep other items cool, reducing the amount of work your refrigerator has to do to maintain a lower temperature.
• Close rooms you don't use regularly during the summer, and close the air conditioning vents in those rooms, as well. 
• Try to avoid using heat-producing appliances in your home during the hottest hours of the day.  The less heat you produce in your home, the less work your air conditioner will have to do.
• Consider investing in ENERGY STAR® appliances or HVAC systems.  Your utility company may offer rebates on these purchases, and tax deductions may apply, as well.
• Check your furnace filter and, if necessary, change it.  Clogged filters waste energy and money by forcing your HVAC system to work harder than necessary.

For a variety of important information regarding energy usage, FirstEnergy customers are urged to visit www.firstenergycorp.com.  The operating companies also will provide updates via Twitter:

• Toledo Edison:  @ToledoEdison
• The Illuminating Company:  @IlluminatingCo
• Ohio Edison:  @OhioEdison
• Mon Power:  @MonPowerWV
• JCP&L:  @JCP_L
• Penn Power:  @Penn_Power
• Penelec:  @Penelec
• Met-ED:  @Met_Ed
• Potomac Edison:  @PotomacEdison
• West Penn Power:  @W_Penn_Power

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.  Its generation subsidiaries control more than 20,000 megawatts of capacity from a diversified mix of scrubbed coal, non-emitting nuclear, natural gas, hydro, pumped-storage hydro and other renewables.  Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.  

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.