Tips for saving money on electric bill

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Triple-digit temperatures are on the way this week, which means many will have to dig deeper in their pockets to cool down.

Combine temperatures in the triple digits, lots of humidity and you've got the perfect recipe for a hefty electric bill.

"Leave the air set wherever you are comfortable at and let it try to maintain that temperature. Turning it up and down is just going to make it work harder," technician with M & M Heating and Cooling, Sean Lewsader said.

Make it work harder, costing you more money. But experts said following a few simple steps like upgrading your air conditioning units will keep you from digging deeper in your pockets when cooling down.

"The most electricity used is when the unit starts up. We have devices that can lower that by 50 percent," Lewsader said. "Figure that over the summer, that can save you quite a bit of money."

But the list of money-saving steps goes on. It gets as simple as changing air filters and cleaning the units in order to save a few extra bucks.

"You want to look into having maintenance done on equipment just like a car. If you're not going to get the oil changed, then eventually something is going to fail and it's going to be expensive. So having proper maintenance done is going to extend the life and keep that unit operating as cheap as possible," Lewsader said.

Other money-saving tips while staying cool:

1. Turn off unneeded lights and heat-producing appliances.

2. Clean or replace cooling system filters every 60 days.

3. Clean leaves, debris and obstructions from the air intake side of air conditioner's or heat pump's outdoor       compressor unit. (Make sure the central control switch is "OFF" first.)

4. Keep windows and doors closed when air conditioning is on.

5. Use the bathroom exhaust fan when showering or bathing to help eliminate humidity problems.

6. Landscaping can provide shade to your home and significantly reduce your cooling costs.