Take control of summer cooling costs with these tips from Duke Energy Florida
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., June 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A sweltering hot Florida summer can cause your electric bill to jump as your air conditioning battles high humidity and temperatures consistently north of 90 degrees. But, you can survive the heat and your summer energy bills by following these simple tips from Duke Energy Florida.
Try these money-saving tips to help reduce your electric use and save as the temperature rises:
- Set your thermostat to the highest comfortable setting. Energy used to cool a home during summer can account for half of a monthly electric bill. Adjusting your thermostat to 76 degrees from 73 degrees saves more than 15 percent in electricity costs. When leaving for the day, turn the setting up a few degrees.
- Keep the AC fan switch set to "auto" and save up to $25 a month versus leaving it set to "on" continuously as many people do.
- Change your air filters regularly. A dirty air filter can make a cooling system work harder, which uses more energy.
- Close blinds, drapes and shades during the hottest part of the day to keep the sun's rays from heating the inside of your home.
- Turn off unnecessary lights, and use energy-efficient light bulbs that use less electricity and emit less heat.
- Use fans, but only in occupied rooms. A ceiling fan (spinning counter clockwise) can make you feel three to four degrees cooler. But remember, fans cool people, not rooms.
Duke Energy Florida offers a variety of programs, incentives and rebates to help customers reduce their energy use and save money year round. Start with a no-hassle, no-cost Home Energy Check. Through this Duke Energy Florida service -- which can be performed online, over the phone or in person -- a highly trained energy advisor will provide customized, energy-saving advice and determine your eligibility for rebates toward energy-efficient home improvements such as additional insulation and upgraded windows.
To sign up for a no-cost Home Energy Check or to learn more than 100 energy-saving tips, visit www.duke-energy.com/save or call 1.877.574.0340.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida owns coal-fired and natural gas generation providing about 9,000 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 1.7 million customers in a 13,000-square-mile service area.
With its Florida regional headquarters located in St. Petersburg, Fla., Duke Energy is the largest electric power holding company in the United States with approximately $120 billion in total assets. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.3 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. Its commercial power and international energy business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.
Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
For Florida-specific information, follow @DE_SuzanneG on Twitter.
Contact: Suzanne Grant
Office: 727.820.5048
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_SuzanneG
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SOURCE Duke Energy
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