Modest energy-saving steps can help reduce bills this summer

Jun. 4—While some might be looking forward to the summer heat, rising temperatures can also mean rising electric bills.

Courtney Lewis, a spokesperson with Evergy, shared a few tips for saving money.

"The first thing they can do is make sure that you are changing your air filter in your furnace once every three months, just like the manufacturer says," Lewis said. "This lets your air flow properly, and it makes sure that the cooling system is working efficiently."

The temperature the house is set is always a preference, but during the summertime or when on vacation, moving the temperature up can help save.

"If you like to keep your air conditioning at 68 degrees, maybe kick it up a little bit to 72," Lewis said. "That four degrees can be enough to save you some money on your energy bill."

Looking back at 2023 some of the temperatures reached 100 degrees for multiple days.

Last year saw several 100-degree days, and hot days can put a strain on the air conditioning, which is another reason to adjust it by a few degrees.

For those who use fans to save, Lewis advises turning them off when not in the room.

"Generally fans use less energy than air conditioning systems do," Lewis said. "If you do use fans, fans cool people and not rooms. So if you're not in that room, go ahead and turn that fan off to save some energy."

Evergy has high-energy usage hours. These hours are from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Avoid using dishwashers or other high-energy appliances during these hours.

Lewis said to block sunlight from entering, and seal doorways as well.

"The best thing to do is to make sure that you get somebody to check out your HVAC," Lewis said. "That it's ready to go for the summer before the heat of it even hits."