With summer in full-swing, the warm weather is here to stay. As the mercury rises this week, the cooling units in customer’s homes and businesses will have to work harder to maintain a consistent temperature, impacting the bottom line customers see on their bill. 

How much your usage increases is influenced by your personal habits, and there are some ways to lessen the impact of the summer heat: 

• Keep your thermostat as high as you comfortably can. KUB recommends a setting of 78 in the summer. Each degree change saves you 1 percent on your heating or cooling bill. 
• Don’t cool an empty home. Adjust your thermostat a few degrees if you are going to be away from home for a while. One way to help with this is to install a programmable thermostat in your home and set it so that your unit is doing the majority of its cooling while you’re home, and less when you’re away. 
• Use ceiling fans to assist in cooling.     
• Keep blinds and curtains closed, especially on east and west facing windows, to help prevent the sun from warming the inside of your home. 
• Don’t perform heat creating tasks such as cooking with the oven/stove or running your washer/drying during the heat of the day. 
• Turn off unnecessary lights, which can also create heat inside your home. 
• Have your cooling system checked for the summer season to make sure it’s working correctly. 

"Customers can get money back when they have their cooling system checked. All they have to do is register for eScore and select a TVA network contractor to perform the tune up. They will then receive a $15 rebate and a free eScore home energy audit,” said Liz Hannah, KUB Manager of Environmental Stewardship. "With the eScore program, customers can receive rebates for making many different improvements to increase the energy efficiency of their home. Visit www.2escore.com to learn more.” 

KUB works with customers to make payment arrangements and provide tools to budget the balance as needed, and customers should call KUB at 524-2911 as soon as they think they may have difficulty paying their bill. Customer counselors are also available who work to get customers in touch with local agencies for assistance. 

The main factors that drive utility bills are the weather, energy costs, and customer usage habits. No matter what the weather or energy costs do, customers can help lower their utility usage and their bills by conserving energy. For conservation information, visit our website at www.kub.org and click on Money-Saving Tips.