Heat energy and safety

With temperatures in the mid to upper 90s the next three days, and humidity along with it, air conditioners will have to work very hard to keep your house cool. The humidity condenses in the air conditioner, releasing latent heat and lowering its cooling power. The heat is also dangerous, especially for those working outside, and people who are susceptible.

There are some easy things we can do to save energy and be safe.

1. Turn the thermostat up to 82 or 83 if everyone is leaving the house for more than 2 or 3 hours. It is not true that it costs more for it to catch up.

2. Use ceiling fans to make the room feel cooler.

3. Close the curtains/blinds during the day to prevent sunlight from coming in.

4. Limit hot showers.

5. In the car, always roll the windows down and let the really hot air out before turning on the air conditioning. Then, let it run on normal without recirculation until your car cools to below 90.

6. Try to avoid cooking in the oven indoors when possible. Cooking on the grill outside, or in the microwave, avoids releasing heat into kitchen.

7. Drink plenty of water. Even if you don’t notice sweating much, you probably are, especially when you’re outside.

8. It can be as much as 5 degrees hotter at the ground than at 2 meters up where the official temperature is taken. So, it is actually hotter for kids and pets. Make sure your kids drink plenty of water, also, and give the pet plenty.

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