By CHRISTINE HARVEY / L’Observateur / June 2, 1999

When temperatures outside rise, the cost of cooling a home can skyrocket.

“Air conditioning your home can represent almost two-thirds of your electricity bill during the summer months,” said John Adams, Entergy customer service manager.

So to combat this seasonal increase, local experts have offered some tips for maintaining a reasonable electric bill this summer.

Throughout the tri-parish area, several ways exist in which to lower utility bills without compromising comfort.

“Keeping your thermostat set at 76-78 degrees is what the factory recommends to save a lot of energy,” said Jeffrey Michel, owner of Jeffco Refrigeration in Garyville.

A unit kept at 72 degrees will cost “a whole lot more,” added Valerie Mul of Mayeux’s A/C and Heating in Norco.

Turn off the air conditioning when the house is going to be empty for more than eight hours, but only raise the regular temperature by two to four degrees if the house will be occupied sooner, experts said.

The area around 75 degrees is where Mul suggests keeping the thermostat at when people are home.

She also said turning off the air conditioner completely when no one is home can actually cost more than leaving it on at a higher temperature.

The result is an air conditioning unit that tries to “catch up” to the desired temperature, and the consumer pays more money in the end, Mul said.

Investing in a programmable thermostat, which costs about $150, would also help to lower electric bills, she said.

The thermostat automatically adjusts a house’s temperature to the warmer settings desired when the house is empty, according to Mul.

Keeping air conditioner filters clean will also keep costs down this summer, said Kelly Louque of Amato’s Refrigeration in Lutcher.

Entergy recommends consumers check once a month to make sure their filters are clean and replace them accordingly.

A good permanent filter only needs to be replaced once every year or two and can be purchased at for about $20, said Michel.

Louque also recommends having condensers checked at least once a year.

“When you cut the grass, make sure grass doesn’t fly into the condensing unit,” Mul said.

Adequate freon levels should be maintained as well, Louque said.

Using ceiling fans to help circulate the air in the house will also help to lower electric bills, Michel said.

When ceiling fans circulate the air, heat is broken up a lot faster by means of convection, he said.

“Forced convection is the principle of the ceiling fan,” Michel said.

But several other simple things can be done to keep electricity costs down this summer for little or no cost.

Closing window coverings will cool down a house, thus reducing the impact of direct sunlight, Entergy suggests.

Planting trees to block the sun from coming through the windows can also help, Mul said.

And Entergy recommends making sure doors and windows are properly caulked and homes are well-insulated to prevent cool air from escaping.

Also, timers can be installed on water heaters to keep them from coming on and off all day when no one is home, Michel said.

Entergy also suggests washing clothes in cold water and doing laundry, dishes and bathing in the early morning or late evening to keep the air conditioner from having to work as hard to combat the humidity and moisture produced from those activities.

“You should begin early in the season paying attention to what consumes the most electricity if you want to keep costs down,” Adams said.

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