Duke Energy offers ways to save on cooling costs

Duke Energy is offering electricity saving tips for its Indiana customers.

The power company says that with higher temperatures, customers will see higher electric bills, but there are some easy ways to save energy and money.

• The company says that you should frequently change the air filter in your heating and cooling system. Dirty filters make your HVAC work harder to cool the house.
• You should set your thermostat at the highest comfortable setting.
• During the hottest part of the day, Duke suggests that you close your blinds, drapes or curtains to keep the sun from heating your house.
• Ceiling fans can help cool your house. They should be set to spin in a counterclockwise direction, pushing cool air down into the room. However you should only use a ceiling fan in occupied rooms, as they only help cool people, not furnishings.
• If you need to cook, consider grilling outdoors. Your stove creates a lot of indoor heat.
• And you should turn off unnecessary lights when you leave a room. Hot lights make your air conditioning work harder.

You can find more suggestions at duke-energy.com/Summer.