Cooling Costs Rise With The Temperature

Wednesday, August 15th 2007, 3:40 pm

By: News On 6

Scorching temperatures across Oklahoma are taking a toll on household budgets, sending electric bills soaring with the mercury. News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports on how you can save money in the heat wave.

"Got one right here, and then my friend lives back here and he has one, one window unit," Tulsa resident Michelle Henshaw said.

Michelle Henshaw says keeping her home cool is a big sized challenge, and that often means a big time electric bill.

"I usually try to keep it as low as possible,â€ Henshaw said. â€œIt may not be really cool in my house, but I try."

Henshaw says with the weather getting well above 100 degrees, her electric bill will go up 40% to 50%.

"Try to keep all the lights off, try to keep the doors shut. It's hard, it is really hard," she said.

Many others are in the same situation, struggling to keep their homes cool, while juggling the family finances.

"Our bill is outrageous,â€ Sapulpa resident Jessica Thulin said. â€œYou have to make sure you have enough money from the next check to make sure you pay the bill on time."

With the high temperature up around 104 in some places PSO says it is nearing a record for peak usage. That means customers are using a lot of energy, and it will soon start showing up on our electric bills. But PSO says there are some things you can do to lower your electric bill.

"This time of the year, a good 60% of your home energy bill is going to come from the home cooling system, so whatever you can do to make sure it's running at its peak performance, its most efficient, is going to save you in the long run," Stan Whiteford with PSO said.

It begins with making sure your air filter is clean, also PSO recommends at least 12 inches of insulation in the attic. Setting your thermostat a few degrees higher can also save money. PSO says everyone should do a quick energy evaluation of their homes which could pay off big down the road.

PSO has an online energy calculator on its website. You enter in things like your homes square footage, how many people live in the home and what appliances you have, and it will calculate what you'll likely spend each month on electricity. For PSOâ€™s energy calculator, click here.

For more on extreme weather and how it affects your health, click here.

Watch the video: Heat Wave Affecting Oklahoma Electric Bills