With high temperatures sizzling the state, the City of Mission Viejo is doing its part to help avoid potential “brown outs” and “black outs” in the City.
The City is heeding local power company requests to reduce power consumption during this heat wave by adjusting thermostats in City buildings to save energy and asking employees to turn off any unnecessary office equipment, lights and such between the peak hours of 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Residents and businesses are encouraged to do the same.
Some energy conservation tips people can immediately take advantage of to stay cool, keep their electricity bills low and reduce the strain on the electrical grid include the following:
- Keep all windows and doors shut.
- Set your air conditioner’s thermostat at 78°F or above when not home.
- Turn off unnecessary lights and appliances especially computers, monitors, printers when not in use.
- Keep your curtains drawn to block out the sun.
- Check caulking and weather stripping around all doors, windows and close your fireplace damper so that the cool air from your home isn’t escaping.
- Close vents and doors to rooms not in use. (But be sure not to close more than 25% of the vents in your home.)
- Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs save more than 65% on your lighting bills and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
- Keep your refrigerators and freezers as full as possible. A full refrigerator uses less energy than an empty one.
- Wash only full loads in your clothes washer and dishwashers. Give all your appliances the “afternoon off” between Noon and 7:00 p.m.
- Use major appliances early in the day, or later at night.
We open our windows at night and let the house cool off. Then we close them in the morning. The almost always eliminates the need for air conditioning in the summer.
Maybe you should make this suggestion. It really works!