Keep cool and save on your power bill

<p>As summer sets in, a local utility is offering tips to help ensure the heat doesn’t get the best of your health or your wallet.</p><p>”Although summer officially started June 2l, people living in southeast Louisiana have already experienced temperatures in the low 90s with heat and humidity indexes reaching over 100 degrees,” said Joe Ticheli, manager of South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association.</p><p>Based in Bayou Blue, the utility serves about 16,000 customers in Terrebonne, Lafourche, Assumption, St. Mary and St. Martin parishes.</p><p>Some tips:</p><p>Limit your activities: If you know you have work to do outdoors, plan it for the morning or evening, when the weather is cooler and the sun not so strong.</p><p>Keep cool: Dress in light, loose and comfortable clothing. Drink plenty of liquids. </p><p>Don’t add heat: Cook outdoors in late afternoons when possible, and bake as little as possible. Save washing, ironing and other hot chores until late evening or early morning. Use the microwave rather than the conventional oven. Take short showers and baths and use exhaust vents to remove moisture and humidity.</p><p>Fans can help: Use box, oscillating or ceiling fans to supplement or replace air-conditioning demands.</p><p>Air conditioning: Every degree you set your thermostat below 78 adds 3 percent more to the cost of cooling your home. Change air filters once a month. Have your air conditioning system checked and serviced regularly. If you don’t have air conditioning, go someplace that does.</p><p>Keep out the sun: Close curtains, blinds or shutters during the day to reduce sunlight invading your home. Strategically planted trees can be your best ally in this effort.</p><p>Other options: Do you have enough insulation in your attic? What about those leaky hot water faucets? Is the damper in the fireplace closed? How often do you unnecessarily open and close the refrigerator and freezer doors?</p><p>”The more energy you use the more it costs,” Ticheli said.</p><p>For more, call SLECA’s member services department at 876-6880.</p>

Keep cool and save on your power bill