PSE&G Suggests Summer Energy Conservation Tips

High temperatures are upon us for the next few months, and with them comes the steep rise in high energy costs.

Fans, air conditioning units and central air conditioning all work overtime as humidity and temperatures increase in the summer. To combat high energy costs, PSE&G has issued an advisory with suggested tips and tricks for keeping your power bill down.

The advisory from PSE&G is listed below:

PSE&G residential customers will pay 2.8 percent less for electricity this summer - and  3.6 percent less on an annual basis - as the result of a price reduction that took effect June 1. Even so, demand for electricity rises as the weather gets hot and air conditioners start humming, and so the utility is offering the following tips to help customers reduce energy use and control costs.

• Install a programmable thermostat and raise the setting to the highest comfortable temperature. You can save 3 to 5 percent on your air conditioning costs for each degree you raise the thermostat.

• Close doors leading to uncooled parts of your home. If you have central air conditioning, close off vents to unused rooms. Keep filters clean.

• Even if you have air conditioning, use ceiling and other fans to provide additional cooling and better circulation.

• Seal holes and cracks around doors and windows. Eliminate air leaks around window air conditioners with foam insulation or weather-stripping.

• Close blinds, shades and draperies facing the sun to keep out the sun’s heat and help fans and air conditioners cool more efficiently.

• Turn off power sources. TVs, computers and other electronic devices draw power when they are in standby mode or turned off but still plugged in. Plug electronics into power strips and turn off the power switch when the items are not in use.

• Use timers and motion detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting.

• Replace old appliances with new energy efficient Energy Star appliances.

• If possible, install whole-house fans that bring in cooler night-time air that can pre-cool a house and reduce energy use in the daytime if heat is kept out by closing windows and shades.

• Join PSE&G’s Cool Customer Program, in which participants are rewarded for voluntarily reducing electricity use during periods of high energy demand (through cycling of the air conditioning compressor on and off at 15-minute intervals). PSE&G electric customers with central air conditioning can receive a one-time $50 credit on their electric bill and a free programmable thermostat installed at no charge. (Or they may choose to receive a cycling switch installed on their central air conditioner compressor outside the home and a $4 electric bill credit per summer month plus $1 per cycling event, year after year.) Customers can learn more at www.pseg.com/coolcustomer.

• Take advantage of PSE&G’s Home Energy Toolkit which helps you analyze your home energy use to receive customized energy saving tips. To access the Home Energy Toolkit, log in to My Account at pseg.com.

To view demonstrations of how to save money in your home, visit PSEG’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/psegvideo (PSE&G Summer Energy Savings Tips). We encourage you to share the information with family and friends.

For additional ways to save energy and money, visit www.pseg.com/customer/home.