Photo: Claire Murphy
Power companies say it helps them if people turn off air conditioning, so they're offering discounts if they're left in control of the A/C.
Forecasters expect Thursday to be the hottest day of the summer so far, at 98 degrees — which means a spike in power bills. The hotter it gets, the harder air conditioners has work to pull the temperature down again. But there are ways to make its job easier and billx lower.
Duke Energy‘s Angeline Protogere says simply closing the curtains or blinds while you‘re not home can cut the heat gain in your house nearly in half. She adds Duke, like many power companies, will ease power consumption for customers in an effort to save money.
“Customers can sign up for us to cycle down their air conditioner during times of very high demand, and there is a financial incentive from the utility,” she says.
Duke‘s Power Manager program offers $25 or $35 off a bill, depending on how long the utility is allowed to turn the air conditioner off.
