The mid-summer heat wave is on. With temperatures reaching the mid-90s expected later this week, hydrating and staying indoors with an air conditioning unit are a few ways to stay cool, but generally, that comes with a cost.
“I don’t even want to know. I’m afraid to look at my bill but I assume it’s going to be higher this month for sure,” said Wallingford’s Whitney Mooney.
To maximize efficiency, Eversource says for every degree higher you set your thermostat, you use one to three percent less energy.
“During the unoccupied hours of the day, it’s okay to set the thermostat just a little higher,” said Ricardo Jordan, spokesman for Eversource. “We say, set it as high as you are comfortable.”
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Jordan said it’s also important to double check that proper air flow is occurring near the air conditioning units.
“Take a look at your vents, make sure they’re not obstructed,” he said. “Take a look at your furniture layouts, take a look at your rugs. Want to make sure air is flowing where it needs to flow. For traditional window A/C units, take a look at your filters.”
As part of Governor Lamont’s extreme hot weather protocol, various cities are setting up cooling stations in public buildings such as police stations and libraries.
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You can find the full list of cooling stations by clicking here, or by dialing 211.
“If somebody’s sitting outside and they don’t have access to cool air, they can have a heat stroke and access to basic water and a space to cool down and regulate their body I think is so essential,” Mooney said.
