August Cooling Tips

According to the National Weather Service, the Pacific Northwest is in for an extremely hot August. Large portions of Washington and Oregon have a 60% to 70% chance of hotter-than-normal temperatures this month.

The PUD’s power planners and engineers are prepared for the heat wave. Fortunately, the PUD’s water supply and snowpack in the Sultan basin was above average this spring, giving the PUD a healthy amount of water in our Spada reservoir for power generation.

Here are some cooling tips to help you stay cool and keep your bill low:

• If you have central air conditioning, turn your thermostat up to 78 degrees when you’re home and 84 degrees when you’re not. You can save 3-5% in home cooling costs for every degree you raise it.
• Installing a smart thermostat makes it easier to ensure that your home is cooled efficiently. The thermostat can automatically change the temperature based on the schedule and settings that you create.
• Closing your blinds, shades or curtains on warm days keeps the sun’s rays out and helps keep your home cool. If you have air conditioning, it can also help you save energy, blocking up to 45% of the sun’s warmth.
• While preparing meals, use a crock pot, toaster oven or microwave instead of your full-sized range or oven to keep your home cooler and save energy. These small appliances use only 20-50% of the energy needed to cook the same meal on your stove top or oven. Better yet, fire up the grill and take meal prep outside.
• If you have furniture in front of your central air vents or window AC unit, you could be blocking the cool air they’re trying to deliver. Check to be sure they’re not blocked, vacuum the unit or have vents cleaned, and make sure the air filter is clean.

As always, we appreciate our customers who conserve energy during the evening hours to help lighten the load and power demands. Stay cool!