Tips for beating the heat this summer
Rebates available to upgrade to energy efficient air conditioning
Peterborough Green-Up has offered a few tips to stay cool, save money and conserve energy throughout the upcoming summer months.
“There are lots of small steps you can take to really have a big environmental i mpact without reducing the comfort level of your home throughout the summer,” Green-Up spokesman Matt Higgs said.
For those with central air conditioning, keeping curtains and blinds closed during the course of the day will help naturally cool your home.
“That can reduce the internal temperature of your home by quite a bit,” he said.
Another option is to use ceiling fans to cool your home instead of running air conditioning continually, Higgs said, and adding a programmable thermostat goes a long way too.
“A lot of people tend to leave their central air running all day even when they are not home,” Higgs said. “You can have your programmable thermostat set to turn on the air conditioning an hour before you get home and that ensures your house is nice and comfortable by the time you walk through the door.”
For those looking to upgrade their AC system, Peterborough Utilities offers customers up to $650 in rebates for switching over to a more energy efficient system, Higgs said.
The utility’s Peaksaver Plus program features a free Energy Display, an easy-to-use home electricity monitor connected to your meter that provides near real-time feedback on how you are consuming electricity in your home.
Once enrolled in the program, a technician will come to install a small load management device on your central air conditioner, electric water heater or inground pool pump that slightly reduces an appliance’s electricity demand.
The Ontario Power Authority is launching an incentive for Ontarians who want to upgrade their window AC units this month.
Those who take their old, inefficient units to any Canadian Tire location June 16 and 17 will receive a $50 coupon towards a new, energy efficient unit, Higgs said.