Summer energy-saving tips essential in lowering monthly bills

As temperatures rise, energy costs usually follow suit.

With temperatures soaring into the 90s this week (with heat indices moving past 100) and summer around the corner, Kinston residents are looking to find ways to stay cool without paying outrageous power bills.

One resident, Bertha Moore, said she was going to make adjustments anywhere she could.

Im literally going to have to go with the A/C at times, unplug and turn off appliances that arent being used, Moore said. Any way we can, we should put in the effort.

Kinston resident Amber Jones said she planned on using alternative methods to keep her home cooler and save energy.

Im probably going to cut off the air conditioner, use ceiling fans and raise the windows. Jones said.

Gary Jones, store manager of Big Blue, said he receives plenty of questions from concerned customers during the summer about ways to bring power bills down while still being able to live comfortably.

One of the main things they can do is to change the filters in the air conditioner every 30 days, Jones said. Another thing is using insulation around doors and windows to keep hot air outside. We also sell foam insulation to fill up cracks and crevasses, which can help.

Kinston Public Services Director Rhonda Barwick said during the summer, the ideal temperature to set the thermostat should be 78 degrees.

Each degree below 78 percent increases energy costs by 3 percent, Barwick said. We just try to make people aware of that, and some people are more comfortable below 78 degrees. One issue is when citizens drop the temperatures very low. For example, if the outside temperature is 90 degrees and your thermostat is 70, the unit has to work that much harder to drop 20 degrees, which can cause bills to rise.

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Summer energy-saving tips essential in lowering monthly bills