As Heat Waves Blanket Country, Alliance to Save Energy Offers Tips To Reduce Power Shortages, Energy Bills, Pollution

Temperatures and heat indexes are soaring around the country in the dog days of summer. Heavy air conditioning demand during heat waves puts a strain on the power grid that can lead to brownouts and blackouts. To reduce electricity bills, pollution, and chances of power shortages and outages, the Alliance to Save Energy offers consumers tips to comfortably lighten the power load in their homes.

• Keep your cool and lower your costs. Ceiling and other fans provide additional cooling and better circulation, enabling you to raise the thermostat and cut down on air conditioning costs.
• Shift energy-intensive tasks - laundry and dishwashing - to off-peak energy demand hours nights and weekends. Do full loads when you use clothes washers, dryers, and dishwashers.
• Cooling and heating are half of the average family's energy bill. Clean or replace air conditioning filters monthly. Maintain your air conditioning equipment with a professional "tune-up" to save you the cost and inconvenience of a breakdown during the hottest days!
• Listen to your mother. ("What do you think, we own the electric company?") Turn off everything not in use: lights, TVs, computers. Activate "sleep" features on computers and office equipment.
• No more peeping Toms. Close blinds or shades on the south- and west-facing windows of the house during the day or install shading devices such as trellises or awnings.
• Tired of coming home to a sweltering house on hot summer days? A programmable thermostat automatically coordinates indoor climates with your daily and weekend patterns, increasing home comfort and reducing energy waste.
• "4 for the Planet." Just replace your four most used 100-watt incandescent bulbs with four comparable 23-watt compact fluorescent bulbs to save $82 over three years. If all U.S. households did this, we'd save as much energy as is produced by 30 power plants annually.
• Consider safer, more efficient ENERGY STAR torchiere lamps over heat-producing halogen torchiere lamps, which can CAUSE FIRES, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. While relatively inexpensive to purchase, they are expensive to operate.
• To cut your utility bills by 30 percent, look for the ENERGY STAR label, the symbol for energy efficiency, when shopping for room air conditioners, central air conditioning systems, major appliances, lighting, and home electronics. Find retailers near you at www.energystar.gov.
• Don't let your house get "sunburned." Cut your air conditioning load, reduce pollution, and fight your local "heat island" effect by planting leafy trees and vines around your home and installing reflective tiles on your roof and adequate insulation in your attic-which can often reach temperatures of 115 degrees or higher! (See www.simplyinsulate.com for insulation information.)
• Refinancing your home because of lower interest rates? Consider wrapping in energy-efficiency home improvements that would reduce your monthly energy bills. Interest would be tax deductible.
• Take the guesswork out of energy-efficient home improvements by exploring the Alliance to Save Energy's free Home Energy Checkup online www.ase.org/checkup. It provides homeowners with a quick analysis of potential dollar and pollution savings, considering climate types and energy prices.
• Earn 50 percent returns on your investment by installing insulation and weather stripping to cut your heating and air conditioning costs, advises Andrew Tobias, personal finance editor, PARADE magazine, in "How To Invest In Uncertain Times."
• Be a kid. It's time to indulge in popsicles, ice cream cones, luscious fresh fruits, and smoothies.
• Sip lemonade and think cool thoughts - like how you'll be freezing next winter and longing for summer again!