Saving with Seth: Cooling for less

ROSSVILLE, Ind. (WLFI) - The summer is heating up and that could mean bad news for your cooling bill.

"If you don't have your home ready for summer, it can be a pretty significant drain on your finances," said David Selvey, owner of Selvey Heating and Cooling.

Selvey said a few small steps can save you big. First, turn up your thermostat 1 or 2 degrees. It can save you 5% to 7% off your bill

"Another simple way is closing the blinds, closing the curtains on the sunny side of the house so you don't get that additional solar gain," he said.

"If you want to go a step further, you might consider setting the thermostat up 5 to 6 degrees at night and using a ceiling fan when you sleep because it feels just as good but you're not running the air conditioner, so you're saving money there," Selvey said.

He said an air conditioner can use 10 times more energy than a fan, so the more you can use the fan, the better.

Selvey also warns people not to blow grass toward their air conditioner unit when mowing. Clippings can get in and keep hot air from escaping. Also, consider using your microwave instead of your oven, which lets additional heat into the house. And don't forget what your mom told you: turn off the lights and other electronics when you leave the room.

"Things like TV's, computers, entertainment centers, stereos," he said. "Those generate an enormous amount of heat."

Keeping the hot air out and the cool air in can take a load off your air conditioner, and that means you save in the long run.